Maszlee launches Zunar’s digital exhibition, stresses greater freedom for arts

KUALA LUMPUR – Political cartoonist Zunar presents the online audience with yet another digital cartoon exhibition titled 'Human Rights in Asean: The Cartoonists Perspective' featuring 81 unsparing cartoons by 38 Asean cartoonists.

This time presenting it together with NGO Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the ‘Human Rights in Asean’ theme remains a stronghold for the latest exhibition.

Malaysia’s former education minister Dr Maszlee Abdul Malik was in attendance to officiate the launch event.

Maszlee began his speech by reciting the poem by Madhu Raghavendra entitled ’Artist’, which the poet wrote in response to the idea that artists are non-essential.

The Sunday Times essential or not survey!
Artists are non essential until they are not. @timesofindia #ArtistOnTwitter #Artist #art #EssentialWorkers #NonEssential #poetry pic.twitter.com/dlW1ixZz9y

— Madhu Raghavendra (@MadhuRagha) June 16, 2020

“It’s amazing because artists from across the globe began to share this on their very own social media platforms.

“A cartoonist, too, is an artist – they convey people’s voices, human consciousness, and humanity’s plight through their artworks.

“Just like Raghavendra puts it in his poem, ‘Art is non-essential, Until it is not…’ which means it is indeed essential,” said Maszlee.

“This is why in Indonesia, arts and culture is under the ministry of education, which is why we see the setting rich and is preserved well. 

“If we look at Germany, we see its ministry of education, culture and science come together under the same umbrella.

“Unfortunately, in Malaysia when I stepped into the office then, I was gobsmacked to find out that arts and music were given one session per week together, which means both are only taught only 30 minutes per week – not to mention other curriculums that are related to culture.

“Arts (and music) were not even considered a priority to be learned at school, what more in tertiary level education.

“Until this moment, we have not heard of any attempts that celebrate culture and diversity in high regard, not at least in education space,” he shared.

“As Asean, we should have in our mind that art diversity is our strength and that our richness emerges in the intersection of our culture, heritage and shared history,” he added. 

Joining him on the panel of speakers were Pusaka founder-director and The Vibes executive editor for the Culture & Lifestyle, News Features and Southeast Asia desks Eddin Khoo, and Friedrich Naumann for Foundation Freedom Southeast & East Asia regional head Moritz Kleine-Brockhoff.

Satire is part of our past

“In political analysis, I always hold on to the strong belief that if you are hated and loved, you have a strong political position, but nothing can undermine your power more than if you are being laughed at,” said Khoo.

“What we need to take stock of – especially today when we hear news of cartoonists, independent organisers (such as Freedom Fest) as well as Zunar himself being called for investigation – is how humour can sometimes be seen as problematic for power.

“This is one of the reasons why satire and the role of political cartoonists are becoming extremely important in our day and age,” he added.

Khoo highlighted that the question of political cartoons and where it emerges over the past decades is an attempt to draw up the idea of Asian values, exclusive societies wishing to be isolated or insulated from movements around the world, greater space for expression and creating social characteristics that are exclusive to the fight for freedom.

“We have seen things like cartoons, films and aspects of the dramatic arts being imported traditions that don’t innately belong to us and don’t fit into our social values/norms,” he shared.

“One of the interesting things about cartoonists like Zunar is that he shares his current predicament with many people who represent our traditions that bear aspects of not just ritual but also a questioning and grappling notion of authority and power.

“The aspect of the comedian/comic is very much prominent in the Wayang Kulit (shadow puppetry) and ritual theatre, which is a part of the Malay bloodstream in both social and political culture,” he added.

Indeed, we come from a tradition of great satire, and this applies to all countries within the Southeast Asia region and “…this pulse of ritual and community theatre is hugely influential in determining world views and how we respond to authority and power”.

“As we are talking about freedom and the assault towards it, the role a political cartoonist plays in it is that essentially you come from a tradition that you can claim as your own. 

“Over the past couple of months, after seeing cartoons published weekly I am really amazed how these contemporary illustrations can be dovetailed to the foundations, expressions and semangat (spirit) upon which politics has existed and continues to exist with us,” Khoo said.

Freedoms that are important

“At first sight, you might be curious what a German foundation is doing in Southeast Asia and being associated with the exhibition that you see today,” noted Kleine-Brockhoff, adding, “basically, what we do is provide political education back home and abroad”. 

“We believe that it is very important for citizens to know about democracy and subscribe to it to only then know how to defend democracy when it matters.

He noted that democracy or the road to it is never safe, “even back home, we have had horrible experiences before establishing democracy when modern Germany was founded. Even today we have elements of German society that are meddling the freedom that are geared to us”.

“From a foreign policy perspective, it is the belief of the German government that democracies abroad make the best partners – either politically, economically and most importantly on the aspect of shared values and the fundamental freedoms of any individual.

“In Asean, FNF has a number of partners working on human rights where we don’t necessarily do the work ourselves but allow our partners (people who see eye-to-eye) to uphold the efforts.

“In Malaysia, we are a part of Malaysiakini from day one pushing for the freedom of expression, and with Sisters In Islam for more than 20 years concerning issues on women’s rights,” he shared, noting that FNF also works on ideas pushing for economic freedom within the region. 

“Many of the freedoms that are important and dear to all of us are addressed in the cartoons of this exhibition. From the freedom of expression, assembly, to freedom from harm, from prosecution, from abuse, as well as environmental activism not just concerning the region but the globe. 

Bigger than fear

Main gallery highlights – state of emergency in Malaysia, the royal defamation law in Thailand, the murderous war on drugs in the Philippines, the coup in Myanmar and religious extremism in Indonesia.

“This is our third exhibition – and how I would describe this digital gallery is that the experience may well be like a physical one.

“We know that during this pandemic where the future is uncertain, the best is to create and offer audiences to participate in an art gallery where the platform (craftora.com) is also open to those who want to exhibit their work,” said Zunar.

On what moves him as a cartoonist; “People keep on asking whether I am afraid or not doing what I do, and my answer to them is – yes, I do have fear.

“But why I still very much keep true to drawing my cartoons knowing well about the possibility of authorities continuing to harass, is that my talent is not a gift but a responsibility, which is bigger than the fear.

“This is what I want to point out, which highlights the importance of the philosophy of cartooning in the first place and something we (cartoonists) need to push for until the end,” he said. – The Vibes, July 3, 2021

Watch the launch event in the video below… 

*Entrance to the exhibition is free and visitors will be able to visit the gallery at http://www.craftora.com