Cartoonist Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque, popularly known as Zunar, will receive an international award for his work, featuring unyielding criticism of political follies in Malaysia.

The US-based Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI) has chosen Zunar as this year’s recipient of its Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning at its annual gala event on July 7 in St Petersburg, Florida.

In a press statement today, Zunar said he is "thankful and deeply honoured" to receive the award, which is in recognition of his fight for freedom of expression and a free press in Malaysia.

NONE Zunar caught the CRNI's eye after both he and Malaysiakini filed law suits against the Home Ministry over the banning of two books on his works, 1Funny Malaysia and Perak Darul Kartun .

He was arrested just hours before the launch of one of his publications Cartoon-o-phobia last September.

The CRNI claims to represent more than 600 cartoonists globally, with 21 affiliates mainly in developing countries in eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

It is also a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange.

Its supporters include the New York-based Challenge Fund in Journalism and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.