Malaysian cartoonist vows to sue authorities over his ‘travel ban’

Fahmi Reza, who has published satirical artworks targeting Malaysian politicians, was planning to travel to Singapore when he was stopped

A controversial cartoonist who is known for his satirical artworks targeting Malaysia’s elite has vowed to take the government to court after he was stopped from leaving the country, in an incident that has prompted criticisms of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for walking back on his commitment to protect individual freedoms.

Fahmi Reza, who once lampooned scandal-hit former prime minister Najib Razak as a clown, was en route to Singapore for a concert on Saturday when he was denied boarding at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport by immigration officers. Fahmi claimed that the officers told him he was subject to a police-imposed travel ban.

The incident marked the second restriction on his movement in recent weeks.

He was barred on May 25 from entering the East Malaysian state of Sabah, reportedly on orders from its new governor, Musa Aman, who was recently satirised by Fahmi and had faced past corruption accusations.

On Sunday, Razarudin Husain, the police inspector-general, denied that any travel ban was in place for Fahmi.

“The police have placed his name on a list of people to monitor for internal reference purposes due to an ongoing investigation involving him,” Razarudin said in a statement.

“It must be emphasised that being on this list does not constitute a travel ban.”

Fahmi dismissed the explanation and accused all parties involved of evading responsibility for what he described as a violation of his constitutional rights.

“It’s easy for you to say ‘there’s no official ban’. But in reality, I was still stopped yesterday,” he said in a statement on Sunday. “I was still denied travel. I was still denied my rights as a citizen.”

He added that while the government was quick to prosecute members of the public, it too must be held to account. “See you in court,” he said. “The government and authorities are not immune. The people must dare to fight.”

Fahmi has frequently been summoned by the police over his satirical artworks, which have targeted politicians across the political divide and Malaysia’s royals.

His criticism came after Anwar deflected responsibility over the latest incident involving Fahmi to the police, insisting his administration was committed to protecting the freedoms of individuals.

“The government upholds individual freedoms so long as they do not threaten national security or contravene existing laws,” Anwar said on Sunday. “Therefore, the Royal Malaysia Police must provide further clarification on this matter.”

Surely the people expect better now?Lim Wei Jiet, legal activist

The incident has sparked renewed criticism of Anwar’s leadership, with many accusing him and his party of hypocrisy, noting their past support for Fahmi’s work during their time in the opposition.

An X user said “something is rotten” in Anwar’s administration. “You keep talking about governance, and yet such infringement occurs freely in your reign,” he said. “Words should match actions.”

Lim Wei Jiet, a legal activist, said it was shocking to see travel restrictions resurface under a government that once championed reform.

Citing a 2016 travel ban on activist Maria Chin imposed by Najib’s government that was later dismissed by the federal court as unconstitutional, Lim said on X: “We fought it all the way to the federal court and won, quashing the ban. Surely the people expect better now?”