The Malaysian graphic designer Fahmi Reza was charged Monday with violating multimedia laws by creating a poster depicting the Prime Minister as a clown. He faces up to one year in prison, a 50,000 ringgit ($12,000 USD) fine, or both.
Fahmi was charged under a law that forbids spreading content online with the intention to “annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass” others. The designer’s lawyer, Syahredzan Johan told AFP that he is being investigated under the Sedition Act as well.
Fahmi Reza poses with the illustration that could see him spend a year in prison (Facebook).
Fahmi first gained the attention of Malaysian authorities on Saturday when he was selling t-shirts with the hashtag #KitaSemuaPenghasut (We are All Guilty of Sedition) at an alternative book festival in Kuala Lumpur. Authorities confiscated two shirts and a banner bearing the clown image from the cartoonist.
Three others, the event organiser Pang Khee Teik, activist Lew Pik-Svonn and artist Arif Rafhan Othman were also arrested with Fahmi, but at the moment they have not been charged.
My car, phone and many other items have all been taken from me but my spirit is not broken.
Upon their release at 3am, Lew described in a Facebook post that she discovered that her car and phone had been confiscated by police, as well as the materials bearing the clown illustration.
Fahmi showed himself to be unfazed, saying that new drawings could be made, and new t-shirts printed.
“There comes a time when we are forced to rid ourselves of fear and rise up against oppression, as it can inspire courage in others, to likewise get up and fight,” the designer said.
In response to being charged, the artist expressed pride that his work was effective. He told the Malay Mail that he was willing to face jail time if it meant that it would push Malaysians to fight for human rights.
“Yes, I’m prepared to go to jail for my art, for our right as citizens to speak up against corruption, against injustice,” Fahmi said. “So yes, if it means I have to go to jail then I’ll go to jail for that.”
Malaysia has been on the front lines of the battle for freedom of expression in recent years. One of the most noteworthy cases has been that of the cartoonist Zunar, who faces a potential 43 years in prison for a tweet criticizing Prime Minister Najib Razak.
The Voice Project has launched a campaign for all charges against Zunar to be dropped. Malaysia’s parliament has since reformed the Sedition Act under which Zunar was charged. However, the charges against Zunar still stand, and the new charges brought against Fahmi Reza show that Malaysians’ struggle for free expression is as urgent as ever.
The Voice Project will continue to update this story as it progresses.
Edit June 7, 2016 23:13 GMT: The Voice Project was contacted by Fahmi Reza to correct a previous version which referred to him as a cartoonist instead of a graphic designer. The error has been corrected.