写在去年五月间

近日无意在电脑中发现一篇旧作，一篇英文访问稿。话说去年毕业后，得知网络媒体当今大马举办短期记者训练工作坊（翻译得不好，其实是叫作「Journalism Training Programme」），觉得相当不错，便参加了。

以下这篇访问稿，是我们的第一份assignment。还记得当时分了题目（5人一组），隔天几只菜鸟就依着指示，找上受访人Zunar在十五碑(Brickfields)的办公室。Zunar是一位漫画家（有关作品可以在www.malaysiakini.com找到），为人友善，而且十分幽默，整个访问过程相当顺利、愉快。

但是，最搞笑的莫过于一行五人访问完毕，相互道谢道别下楼后（办公室在三楼〕，在路上走着走着，并且开始盘算午餐该吃什么的时候，突然有人发出惨叫：

“Oh,no! we forgot to take Zunar's picture!"
原来竟然五个人都忘了要拍照！

马上随之而来的是一阵骚动，当中有惊慌、懊恼、彷徨...
最后，大伙儿还是决定硬着头皮回到三楼，请Zunar让我们拍几张照片，好完成任务。所幸友善的他也十分配合，倒是我们都为自己的不专业感到不好意思。

整理了采访内容，加上工作坊负责人Padma的指导，就有了以下这篇作品。虽然我过后并没有当上记者，那三个星期的课程还是给了我很多宝贵的知识、经验与回忆。


“ZUNAR, THE POLITICAL CARTOONIST”

I sketch with heart, draw with mind”, said Zunar, a political cartoonist who put the responsibility to educate Malaysians for the nation’s reformation purpose on his shoulders.

He had made himself clear that he is against the ruling party’s oppression and he plays his role in social reformation through his pieces of artwork.

The 43-year-old who was once a science stream student, started to sparkle in the world of political cartoon two decades ago.

“Illustrator is one that draws what he is asked to. But I am a cartoonist. I draw only my ideas and thoughts”, added Zunar, who quitted from Berita Harian in 1994 because of its restricted freedom of expression.

Zunar always wants his readers to share his feelings and opinions. According to him, a good piece of political cartoon should make people to think, instead of merely laugh.

The optimistic cartioonist is of the opinion that cartoons own its strengths in today’s world with overloaded information-it can conveny quick messages and most importantly, everyone likes jokes.

Being an enthusiatic cartoonist, Zunar actually involved himself in the movement of reformation and be part of the struggle in order to really understand and feel it.

He commented that most of the Malaysia’s political cartoonists today, especially the young generations, do not have a political mind. They just draw to fill the columns, without having their own stands and messages.

Some says an artist should not take side. Zunar thinks the opposite. “You can’t simply watch and allow wrong things to happen. Otherwise you are part of it”. This explains why he chose to be the minority by taking side.

Though being awarded the Consumer Award of Cartoonist of The Year, it is meaningless to Zunar, as recognition and respect from the readers are all what he wants.

After publishing two collections of his work few years ago, Zunar is now planning to compile his cartoons on Tun Dr. Mahathir, his favourite character, under the name of “Det’s My Cartoons”.

Explaning on his approach which is always viewed as rather aggresive, Zunar simply answered “if you can punch, why pinch”.

访问中提到的那本漫画集在几个星期前举行了推介礼，遗憾的是我并没有机会出席。