HK 'firefighter' cartoonist bids farewell to newspaper strip after 40 years

'Apart from news reports, cartoons are used to record some of society's moods, or some very layman ideas, those of ordinary people, and to question and challenge,' says Wong. Photo: Reuters

One of Hong Kong's most prominent political cartoonists, whose newspaper cartoon strip was axed on Sunday after four decades, defended freedom of expression in the face of political pressures while urging others to keep speaking out.

"Apart from news reports, cartoons are used to record some of society's moods, or some very layman ideas, those of ordinary people, and to question and challenge," said Wong Kei-kwan, 67, on Monday.