KAULA LUMPUR: Malaysian government has issued a clear warning to Dr. Zakir Naik to either abide the law of the land or face action, Economics Times reported.
The report also said that many groups in Malaysia have objected to Naik’s preaching calling him to be a threat to Malaysia.
The 52-year-old currently holds a Permanent Resident (PR) status in Malaysia, which was confirmed by then Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in last year and since then he has taken shelter in Malaysia.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysia Home Minister, said even though the preacher holds a PR status, he will not receive special protection if he breaks Malaysian law.
“I have been informed that Zakir Naik was given PR (permanent residency) by the previous administration. So the issue now, if he is PR, just like any of us we are still subject to the law. If you do something which is not according to the law, whether if you involve in issues of religion, crime, whatever it is, you can’t be spared. We have to deal with it in accordance with the law. This is what rule of law is all about,” the channel quoted Home Minister as saying.
Dr. Naik left India in July 2016 after he was accused of being a major catalyst for a deadly attack in Dhaka apart from money laundering.
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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had made a formal request to Government of Malaysia for his extradition this year in January and has not yet receive official confirmation in this regard from Malaysian Government.
Naik is facing probe both in India and Bangladesh after two of the suspects in the terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in July 2016.
Probes were launched by both NIA and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Naik and his NGO – Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing allegations of money laundering against the NGO and has declared it unlawful.
The MEA too has cancelled Naik’s passport and had asked Malaysia to hand over the Islamic preacher to India. Naik, had last month, petitioned the Bombay High Court seeking relief against passport revocation by MEA. The high court, however, refused to grant relief to Naik.
ANI inputs