Newsroom, Aug 20: The Malaysia has reported barred self-exiled Indian Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik from making public speeches after many leaders of the minority Hindu community in the Muslim-majority country launched a political campaign against him.
The move comes days after the Dr Naik’s videos emerged on August 8 where he said Malaysian Hindus enjoy more than 100% rights unlike Indian Muslims. He also reportedly claimed that Malaysian Hindus were more loyal to the Indian prime minister than Malaysian PM. This had reportedly hurt the sentiments of Malaysian Hindus.
Royal Malaysia Police corporate communications head Senior Asst Comm Datuk Asmawati Ahmad confirmed news of ban of Dr Naik’s speeches, following a leaked circular that was issued to all state-level police chiefs, local media claimed.
“Yes. Such an order has been given to all police contingents, and this was done in the interest of national security and to preserve racial harmony,” she said when contacted on Tuesday, a news website quoted.
Dr Zakir had been barred by seven states of Malaysia - Melaka, Johor, Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Perlis and Sarawak - from speaking in public, after his recent racial remarks.
Dr Naik, who has lived in Malaysia for about three years after he was granted permanent residency, has been at the centre of a storm over his opinion about Malaysian Hindus. Three ministers of Malaysian have demanded he should be expelled.
Human resource minister and Hindu leader M Kulasegaran, one of the senior-most Hindu politicians in the Malaysian coalition government, had said in a statement that Naik’s “actions do not reflect one deserving of a permanent resident status”.
He said the time had come for the “fugitive foreigner to leave Malaysia and to face charges of terrorism and money laundering...in India”.
Dr Naik’s case figured at a cabinet meeting and home minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that some elements were spreading “fake news” and making “racist statements...without considering the sensitivities of Malaysians”.
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