Your First, Your Best, Your Most

ZUNAR

Zunar’s first cartoon was published when he was 12 years old in 1974. His given name is Zulkiflee Anwarul Haque. As a Science stream student, Zunar did not receive any formal education in art. However, when he failed his studies at UTM, he became a professional cartoonist in 1985 and joined Gila-Gila magazine. Later, he switched over to Berita Harian and finally to the Malaysiakini portal from 2003 until the present.  With his slogan “”How Can I be Neutral, Even my Pen Has a Stand”, Zunar exposes corruption through his sketches. He has published 19 books, most of which have been banned by the previous government. He has also been arrested five times and charged nine times under the Sedition Act.

Zunar is a well-recognised cartoonist overseas and has been awarded, among others: “Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award” in Washington and “Cartooning for Peace Award” at Geneva from Kofi Annan.

He has been invited to exhibitions and to speak at universities like UCL, London, Oxford, Harvard, University of Louisville, New York University (Florence), University of California, Los Angeles, and Curtin University, Perth. Zunar has also spoken at PBB, Geneva, and at cartoonist programmes in Washington, Paris, Bilbao, London, Amsterdam and Berlin.