Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran on Tuesday urged the government to take action against Islamic preacher Zakir Naik.
Zakir Naik is a permanent resident of Malaysia.
Kulasegaran is one of the senior-most Hindu politicians in the Malaysian coalition government. According to multiple reports, he said that Zakir Naik’s actions do not reflect one deserving of permanent resident status and this will be brought up in the next Cabinet meeting.
He said the time had come for the “fugitive foreigner to leave Malaysia and to face charges of terrorism and money laundering in India”.
“Naik recently compared the Hindus in Malaysia to the Muslims in India and said that the former enjoyed more than 100% rights in Malaysia compared to Muslims in India. He further said that it was unfortunate that Hindus in Malaysia, despite the benefits, are more loyal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi than to Tun Dr Mahathir (Mohamd),” Kulasegaran said in his statement.
“For questioning the loyalty of Malaysian Hindus and touching a raw nerve in our multi-ethnic society, necessary action must be taken against the controversial preacher Zakir Naik,” he said.
Naik is an outsider who is a fugitive and has little knowledge of the Malaysian history therefore he should not be given such privilege to run down other Malaysians, what more in questioning their loyalty to the country, the minister said in a statement.
The minister also accused Naik of creating fissures in an “in a multi-ethnic and religious society” so that he can enjoy the support of Musli community.
“Should Malaysians be split over a man called Zakir Naik? Therefore, it’s time for Malaysians to unite and safeguard the peace and stability of the nation by exposing the dubious strategy of Naik in using religious and racial sentiments in a tolerant and harmonious country,” he said.
India is currently pressing for negotiations with the Interpol to get a Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued against Zakir Naik.
Interpol has rejected India’s claims to give Naik a notice, saying there is not enough evidence
The preacher had then issued a statement lashing out at the Indian government to “stop the witch hunt”
Also Read: Zakir Naik accuses Modi government of “witch-hunting” after Interpol rejects India’s appeal
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