KUALA LUMPUR – Controversial graphic artist Fahmi Reza Mohd Zarin was held for more than three hours by police, whom he claimed had questioned him over one of his latest drawings that allegedly mocked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He first posted on Twitter at around 1.45pm today, saying that the Wangsa Maju police district headquarters had called him in for questioning over the artwork.
At around 6.50pm, the 44-year-old updated his Tweet saying that he has been detained over the caricature.
“I have been arrested by police after being questioned over a satirical poster about #KeluargaMalaysia with a caricature drawing of PM Ismail Sabri. Arrested at IPD Wangsa Maju. #AktaSakitHati #SatireIsNotACrime” said his post.
Aku kena tangkap polis selepas disoalsiasat untuk kes poster satira #KeluargaMalaysia dengan lukisan karikatur PM Ismail Sabri. Ditahan di IPD Wangsa Maju.#AktaSakitHati #SatireIsNotACrime
— Fahmi Reza (@kuasasiswa) October 4, 2021
The arrest had apparently taken place at around 4pm, where he said the authorities had also confiscated his phone and taken his fingerprints and mugshot.
He added that the police force had made him “feel like he was a criminal”.
“They wanted to take my DNA but I did not allow it,” he said.
"Later, police made the decision to release me on police bail. No need to sleep in the lockup tonight! #SatireIsNotACrime"
Prior to his questioning, Fahmi had posted caricatures of the past three prime ministers and Ismail Sabri, in which he indicated he was investigated for lampooning Datuk Seri Najib Razak, but not Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on his Instagram.
However, Fahmi also pointed out that he was being probed by police for the caricature of Ismail Sabri, thus implying preferential treatment on the part of Umno leaders.
Last week, he also shared an Instagram post detailing a similar investigation at the Brickfields police headquarters over a different artwork he made this year.
The 44-year-old artist has been detained numerous times this year, most notably in May after he created a Spotify playlist titled “This is: Dengki Ke?” in reference to an Instagram remark made by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
In the same month, Fahmi was also the subject of two other investigation papers for works satirising Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and the health minister. The Vibes is attempting to reach Fahmi for comment. – The Vibes, October 4, 2021
