CARTOONIST and activist Fahmi Reza has applied to have his trial postponed, but cybercrime court judge Zaman Mohd Noor ordered for it to start today.

The first witness, former army man Mohd Ali Baharom, better known as Ali Tinju, had lodged a police report in February 2016 over one of Fahmi’s cartoons – a clown caricature of former prime minister Najib Razak.

Fahmi’s lawyer, Syahredzan Johan, yesterday said he would apply to the attorney-general for the charge against his client, under the Communications and Multimedia Act, to be withdrawn.

Fahmi faces a charge of intending to annoy and cause offence with his post of the caricature of Najib on his Instagram account on January 31, 2016.

The graphic artist already has a conviction and sentence for a similar offence, imposed by the Ipoh Sessions Court, which he is appealing against at the high court. – May 28, 2018.