Cartoonist Zunar gets leave to challenge immigration order

The High Court here today allowed an application for leave by cartoonist Zunar to initiate a judicial review proceeding to challenge an order by the Immigration Department in barring him from travelling abroad.

The decision was made in chambers by Judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab in the presence of Zunar's lawyers, N. Surendran and Latheefa Koya, and senior federal counsel Mohamad Rizal Fadzil, representing the Immigration Director-General, the Home Minister and the government, the three respondents named in the application.

Surendran, when met by reporters after the proceeding, said Judge Mohd Zaki allowed the leave application by Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee SM Anwarul Haque, after dismissing the preliminary objection raised by the Attorney-General's Chambers.

In the application filed on Dec 7 last year, Zunar is seeking a certiorari order to quash the travel restriction by the respondents, which was informed to him orally on Oct 17.

He is seeking a declaration that the travel ban violates the Article 5 (1), Article 8 and/or Article 9 of the Federal Constitution and therefore, it is null, void and unconstitutional

Zunar is also seeking a mandamus order from the court to instruct the respondents to allow him to travel overseas without restrictions. -- Bernama