KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — The Home Ministry has confirmed today that incendiary televangelist Dr Zakir Naik is not banned from delivering public sermons.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was quoted saying that the ban on the fugitive Muslim preacher was only in place in 2019 when he was under investigation.
“The ban was in place in 2019 while investigations into the two statements he had made were underway,” The Star reported him saying during the winding-up speech on the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday,
“I have checked, and there are currently no restrictions,” he added.
RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) had asked whether the ban was lifted since Dr Zakir had previously appeared in a public talk in Perlis.
In August last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Malaysia will consider India’s request to extradite Dr Zakir Naik if evidence of his extremism is provided.
Speaking during his official visit to India, Anwar was also quoted saying that the issue was not brought up by his counterpart Narendra Modi recently — although it was mentioned in the past.
Dr Zakir has been evading Indian authorities since 2016, when files were opened against him for allegedly making hate speeches and laundering money after five militants launched an attack at a bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh that ended with 29 dead.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs in June 2019 said the Indian government had made a formal request to Malaysia for Dr Zakir’s extradition and would continue to pursue the matter with Malaysia, while a court in India had also in June 2019 ordered Dr Zakir to show up there.
He is currently believed residing somewhere in Putrajaya after receiving asylum since 2018.
Locally, Dr Zakir has been accused of denigrating other faiths and being a threat to Malaysia’s multi-ethnic and multicultural harmony.
In July 2019, Dr Mahathir said that multiracial and multireligious Malaysia cannot have Dr Zakir as the country does not want anyone who gives extreme views about race and religion, but noted it was difficult to send him anywhere else as “many countries” do not want the preacher.
In August 2019 during Dr Mahathir’s administration, the authorities in Malaysia banned Dr Zakir from delivering public talks in all states in the interest of national security and to preserve racial harmony.
