Calling themselves Pakatan Pro-BN (Sabah), the group also called for the Cartooning for Peace Swiss Foundation to withdraw the “2016 Cartooning For Peace Award” that was awarded to Zunar, whose full name is Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque, the Borneo Post reported today.

Group leader Zulkarnain Mahdardas said that it was not right for Zunar to be receiving an award for drawings that had “insulted and humiliated the Malaysian government”.

“Zunar claimed that the freedom of expression in Malaysia is being restricted but Malaysia is the most free country that practises freedom of speech and expression for the people, either cartoonists or journalists, since Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s era and now Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“The freedom of expression does not mean that a person can insult or embarrass the government,” Zulkarnain was quoted as saying by the daily.

He also felt that the Cartooning for Peace Swiss Foundation were not aware of the true political situation in Malaysia.

“What Zunar is doing is outrageous when the reality is that Malaysia is a peaceful country that gives freedom to its people.

“Therefore, we urge the foundation to withdraw the award that was presented to Zunar or Pro-BN will hold a peaceful demonstration in front of their office,” he told reporters after lodging a police report at Karamunsing police headquarters earlier this week.

Zunar received the 2016 Cartooning for Peace Award in Geneva on May 3, from the Honorary President of the Swiss Foundation, Kofi Annan, who is also a former United Nations secretary-general.

According to the Cartooning for Peace official website, the award is presented every two years in Geneva and recognises a cartoonist for his/her “courage, talent and commitment to the values of peace, tolerance as well as for his/her fight for freedom of expression.”