Art For Resistance: We All Are Seditious

-         Abhishek Bhosale

“I believe that in a country where artists, designers, cartoonists and satirists have been censored, arrested and charged in court for their act, it is important that this vital form of artistic expression – parody and satire as a form of political protest – is continued to be practiced and to be defended at all costs” these are the words of Fahmi Reza, 38-year-old Malaysian artist, activist and documentary maker.

He has been charged under Malaysia’s Communication and Multimedia act for caricaturing President Najib Razak as a clown. Fahmi was not the first artist, who was facing such charges. There are number of artists like Fehmi and Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, better known as Zunar charged under sedition.

 Fahmi first posted the caricature of the politician on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in January, 2016. Drawing Najib clad in white powdered makeup with evil arched eyebrows and a large red mouth, Fahmi wants to express that “Country was governed by fools and crooks”. Fahmi’s artwork had been shared widely on online Media. Posters were appeared more and more in public spaces. Many artists had picked up on Fahmi’s image and created copycat variations to express their outrage against corruption and governments moves to stop media protest.  

In an interview with Vice Magazine Fahmi told that, “The original clown – faced Najib Razak artwork was my reaction to two issues. First, to the news that the Malaysian Attorney-General cleared Najib of any corruption relating to the long-running financial scandal, absolving Najib from all wrong doing. The level of absurdity that the government used to cover-up the scandal and the corruption is astounding. Second, it was a reaction to an amnesty International Report, which states that in 2015 alone there were 91 instances of the sedition act being used by Malaysian government to arrest, investigate or charge individual. Government is very intolerant of dissent”.

 It was alleged that PM Najib funneled public money from the country’s future fund into his personal bank account. There were other allegations too, darker but less concrete from bribery to extortion. Malaysia is a country plagued by political corruption, where press and artistic freedom remains dismally low.  That’s why few Malaysian was surprised when the country’s Attorney-General cleared Najib of any corruption in January 2016. Instead, official line is that the unexplained hundreds of millions flowing into the prime minister’s account was a donation from the Saudi royal family. Many Malaysian’s don’t believe this. That’s why, fahmi’s art work, a giant clownish take on Najib’s face went viral throughout Malaysia. It became icon of anti-corruption push in Malaysia.

On 31 January 2016, Fahmi posted his artwork on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He received warning from police department within three hours when he posted his work. Malaysian’s not only responded favorably to Fahmi’s art work, but they had also played an active role in creating and disseminating the image. Fahmi’s single act of defiance had turned into a “Social media protest movement” with hashtag “kita semua Penghasut” means “We all are seditious”. The Clown image had been transformed into a Malaysian symbol of rebellion against corrupt and authoritarian government.

This was not the first time for Fahmi to face government warning. In the past, he had been banned and arrested for his work. In 2004, he designed the posters, placards and banners for a protest against police brutality.

Currently Fahmi is out on bail. And he thinks, “One shouldn’t be afraid to stand up to fight oppression because it instills courage in others to stand up alongside you. I will continue to fight against this authoritarian and corrupt regime using my art as my weapon. They can jail a rebel, but they can’t jail the rebellion”.