GEORGE TOWN: A caricature exhibition by cartoonist Zunar containing seditious undertones has caused quite a bit of a commotion here at Komtar today.
Some 50 Penang Umno Youth members stormed the exhibition on the third floor, just outside the state government at about 2.30pm.
They demanded to see Zunar, whose real name is Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, to vent their disapproval on the suggestive artworks featuring caricatures of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, which they labelled as seditious.
The situation turned ugly when Zunar refused to see them. Tension escalated at the scene, so much so that the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) had to be called in to control the mob.
The cartoonist finally relented after about an hour as the wing members stood their ground.
Meeting the members at about 4pm, Zunar faced the angry pack under strong police presence before ordering his staff to cancel the display.
Some 20 pieces of caricatures were taken down for the sake of security as instructed by the police.
Penang Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abdul Rahim said the wing would monitor the situation to ensure Zunar would stick to his words.
Earlier, the exhibition was officially opened at 12 noon and it was slated to run until Sunday.