KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Graphic artist Fahmi Reza, who clowned with a caricature of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, will present himself to the police on Sunday for investigation under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act and the Penal Code.

Fahmi posted on his Facebook page today, that he had set an appointment with the police to record his statement at 4pm at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. He said he was currently overseas and posted a lengthy statement detailing the events that led to the investigation against him.

“Dear comrades, I am being investigated under Section 233 of the MCMC Act 1998 and Section 504 of the Penal Code.

“All this started on January 31 when I posted a drawing of a clown on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that criticised the administration of corruption. The police issued me a warning via Twitter on the same day, to tell me that my account is being monitored by the police.

“The next day, on February 1, Ali Tinju and the Red Shirt gang lodged police reports against me and the poster I drew (of the clown), saying that it was an insult to the prime minister, which could anger the people and incite. They urged the police and MCMC to take action.

“On February 2, I wrote an open letter to the police, warning that should they rashly arrest me, it would only lead to more rebels raising to fight. Then the police did not do anything…but now, they are investigating me.”

Section 233 of the MCMC Act touches on communication by using any applications service, whether continuously, repeatedly or otherwise, during which the communication may or may not ensue, with or without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person at any number or electronic address, commits and offence.

Section 504 of the Penal Code deals with intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of the peace.

Fahmi said if he was charged and convicted, he faced three years jail, a RM50,000 fine or both.

“When I go to have my statement recorded on Sunday, I face two possibilities. One, I may be allowed to go home after that. Two, the police may arrest me right after on the two alleged offences.

“I will not be afraid of facing any possibility, because I know you all will not let me fight alone,” he said in his post.

In Fahmi's debut clown poster of Najib, he drew a fang-like smile on the prime minister's face and sinister-looking eyebrows, with the caption: "In 2015, the Sedition Act was used 91 times. Tapi dalam negara yang penuh dengan korupsi, kita semua penghasut (but in a country that is full of corruption, we are all seditious)."

It was in response to the attorney-general's decision to close investigations into the RM2.6 billion found in Najib's personal bank accounts.

Not impressed, the newly set up Twitter account for the police's Cyber Investigation Response Centre (@OfficialPcirc) warned him that he was being watched.