E Contrario

The Book Launch of Zunar’s CARTOON ON TUN…AND OTHERS
20:00hr, 12 January 2007
Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

Anwar launched the latest cartoon book by Zunar last night (12 January 2007). The book titled “CARTOON ON TUN…AND OTHERS” was published by Kini Books (a Malaysiakini outfit).

One of Zunar’s cartoon fan said, “There are many political cartoons (characters) in this country, but there is only one political cartoonist.”

This is not an exaggeration.

Zunar said artist is not neutral. There is no such thing as not taking side. Artists must always be with the people, and they are closest to the people. In fact it is the first responsibility of artists to speak up against injustices.

As cartoonist, he chose the politically powerful as his objects. When people are faced with victimization, taking no stand is in fact siding with the oppressor.

This responsibility is an imperative.

Zunar told a joke: in a kampong, a man fell into the stream and cried out “HELP, HELP!” An onlooker shouted back, “Ooi, cakap Melayu lah!”

In emergency, it is not the time to pick an ideological fight. Save the people first, take a stand and fight injustice.

When Malaysia was under the repressive thumb of Mahathir, there were no other cartoonists who stood at the front most position as Zunar. To those who have undergone the Reformasi era, Zunar is the cartoonist—probably one and only whose works so vividly imprinted on the mind of this generation Zunar is indeed the product of “Gen-M”.

On this rare occasion, Zunar publicly thanked as well as apologized to Tun Mahathir: As he confessed, without Mahathir, there would probably be no the cartoonist Zunar. That he is thankful. Secondly, the cartoonist asked Tun’s forgiveness for using a part of his organ to make profit without his permission.

Many Malaysian cartoonists chose to draw subjects such as George Bush, Zionist power, and so on. People like to choose to struggle against the powerful enemies far away.

“You don’t find too many Bush in my drawings,” Zunar said, “there are many people already done that. We leave it to the American cartoonists.

Zunar depicts the powerful oppressors in this country, risking to offend and to annoy them.

As Steven Gan said, Malaysian politicians aren’t particularly known for laughing at themselves. Steven would perhaps envy the role of cartoonists, as cartoonists often got away with a lot more than other forms of journalism.

According to Steven, cartoons cut the deepest. He learned from his experience in The Sun, the authorities won’t particularly kind to political cartoons. Even simple humour could often infuriate the authorities.

Zunar had Anwar to launch his book. Zunar has been perceived as Anwar’s loyal supporter. He has taken side to defend Anwar when he was victimized and imprisoned. And today, Zunar continues to support Anwar’s vision of reform and his struggle for democracy and multiracial plural society. Has Zunar crossed the line and become a lackey propagandist for Anwar the politician?

If anyone who have such doubt, should get the book and judge for yourself. There are not many pieces on Anwar in this publication. But of the very few, Anwar was not spared from Zunar’s punch. In his launching speech, Anwar acknowledged such warning. Anwar’s reformasi, apart from those heavy wording manifesto, is an agenda to cultivate a new bred of politicians who can laugh at themselves. That’s liberation!