PETALING JAYA: An article appearing on BBC Trending, a new platform to investigate social media trends around the world, features that of blogger Tse Yin Lee, who wrote about the latest craze taking social media by storm – the rendition of clown images featuring Prime Minister Najib Razak.
It all began when activist and graphic designer Fahmi Reza posted on Twitter, a caricature of Najib as a clown as part of a campaign against the Sedition Act.
Despite receiving a warning from the police for uploading the image, Fahmi Reza, who is now under police watch, retaliated, saying it would be unwise for police to arrest him as it would only expose more people to his artwork and inspire more rebellion.
And inspire it did! Despite the authorities keeping away from Fahmi, an independent group of designers and illustrators called Grupa, have churned out clown images of their own to “express their solidarity” with Fahmi and to “champion the ideal of free speech,” Lim wrote.
The images have swept across social media like a hurricane with the hashtag #KitaSemuaPenghasut which translates to “we are all seditious.”
Grupa first made its presence known when it was formed just before the Bersih 4.0 rally of August last year that among other demands, called for the resignation of Najib. The group apparently designed many of the placards carried during the two-day protest.
Among Grupa’s many clown renditions is one featuring Najib sporting a round, red nose complemented by yellow hair, green brows, pink cheeks, brown eye circles and ruby red lips.
There is also the red-and-grey rendition of a smiling Najib, with his head tilted back as well as the “Sad Clown” that depicts a downcast Najib.
The clown images of Najib are gaining prominence in cyberspace as things heat up at home, just days after Attorney-General (AG) Apandi Ali cleared the prime minister of all wrongdoing after he received RM2.6 billion from a Saudi donor in his personal bank accounts in 2013.
Source from FMT News
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