(Nov 25): Malaysia's popular political cartoonist Zunar was one of four recipients of the 2015 International Press Freedom Award, which aims to recognise journalists who have gone through persecution and challenges in their field of work.

Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, was presented the award by legendary cartoonist Garry Trudeau (of "Doonesbury" fame) in New York yesterday.

"I’m so happy to be here tonight to accept this and not in a jail somewhere in Malaysia. I would like to dedicate this award to the Malaysians who have equally pushed for reform," Zunar said in his acceptance speech.

"It is both my responsibility and my right as a citizen to expose corruption, wrongdoing and injustices. Laws like the Sedition Act mean that drawing cartoons is a crime.

"The government of Malaysia is a cartoon government – a government of the cartoon, by the cartoon, for the cartoon – sorry Abraham Lincoln."

The controversial cartoonist, famed for his hard-hitting caricatures of Malaysian leaders as well as prominent public personalities, is facing nine sedition charges for his tweets criticising the jailing of former opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was convicted of sodomy in February.

Seven of Zunar's books have also been banned. He has resorted to selling them online but his web-based distributors have also been subjected to police questioning.

In his speech, Zunar vowed to continue fighting his "aggressors" and pledged to continue drawing until the "last drop of his ink" as the people needed to know the truth.

"For asking people to laugh at the government, I was handcuffed, detained, thrown into the lock-up. But I kept laughing and encouraging people to laugh with me. Why? Because laughter is the best form of protest.

"My mission is to fight through cartoons. Why pinch when you can punch? People need to know the truth and I will continue to fight through my cartoons.

"I want to give a clear message to the aggressors – they can ban my cartoons, they can ban my books, but they cannot ban my mind. I will keep drawing until the last drop of my ink," he said.

The award was organised by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) – an independent, non-profit organisation that promotes press freedom worldwide.

Other recipients of the Press Freedom Award this year were Cándido Figueredo Ruíz (Paraguay), Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently (Syria) and the Zone 9 bloggers (Ethiopia). – The Malaysian Insider