Political cartoonist Zunar is left dejected after learning that he will not be able to attend his first ever exhibition at an art museum in Switzerland this month, thanks to the travel ban against him.
The cartoonist last month wrote to the Immigration Department asking them to temporarily lift the ban, so he can attend the opening in Morges, Switzerland for the event.
But all he received was a wall of silence, he told Malaysiakini.
"I was really looking forward to this exhibition. It is my first ever solo in a museum and I had worked with three curators since last July to carefully select the works.
"Even the captions were carefully curated to ensure the international audience could understand the Malaysian political context," said Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anwar Haque.
Organisers are now working out whether to have him send a video presentation or to patch him via live streaming during the opening ceremony.
Zunar's exhibition at Maison du Dessin de Presse is alongside top African cartoonist Gado. It will be from Jan 27 to April 2.
Both Zunar and Gado were named 2016 Cartooning for Peace laureates.
"Gado is like me, he also criticises the government but he is not arrested and is not facing a travel ban. He can attend the exhibition.
"This means Kenya is more free compared to Malaysia," he said.
Zunar has filed a suit to challenge the travel ban.
He is also facing nine sedition charges for his tweets on PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction in 2015.
He has been repeatedly arrested while his cartoon books have been seized multiple times.
Police last month raided an event he held to raise funds to pay for his legal costs.
Zunar estimated that he lost RM51,000 in merchandise in the raid.- Mkini
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