PREACHER from India, Zakir Naik should be thankful that he is allowed to stay in Malaysia, said Anwar Ibrahim.
“Zakir should be thankful that the previous government granted him permanent resident status and that Dr Mahathir Mohamad decided to protect him by not sending him back to India,” Anwar told PKR members during a town hall session in Kuala Lumpur tonight.
Instead, Zakir has attacked other races in Malaysia during his sermons, said the PKR president.
“And he has now become a problem to us,” Anwar said.
“We want to help him but he’s giving us problems.”
The Port Dickson MP said that it was wrong for Zakir to attack the races of Malaysia during his talks.
“I don’t agree with his belittling and attacking the Chinese and Indians although he has (since) said that he didn’t mean it and apologised.
“We must say good things when we are trying to evangelise. I know him and he has his strengths. But it’s wrong for him to say those things.”
Pakatan Harapan has also come under fire over Zakir, he said.
“Because of him, the Malays are telling us not to back down (against demands for Zakir’s deportation) as it is about honour.”
The question of whether the provocative preacher should be allowed to remain in the country has divided Malaysians. Many, including Malays, have called for the Indian national to be repatriated to India, where he is wanted for alleged money laundering and promoting terrorism. Some insist the Malaysian government must respect Zakir’s PR status and let him stay.
“I’ve never asked for him to be punished but he has to follow the rule of law too.” Anwar said tonight.
“Now the police has investigated and barred him from giving talks. We will decide other issues tomorrow.”
PKR is expected discuss the problem of Zakir at a political bureau meeting tomorrow. – THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
Anwar backs efforts to review Lynas licence extension
PUTRAJAYA should continue to meet with anti-Lynas activists to review its decision to allow the rare earths refinery to continue operations in Malaysia, said Port Dickson MP Anwar Ibrahim.
“I’m supporting attempts to seek meetings with the government to review the decision. This should be done amicably through meaningful negotiations between the activists and the government.
“I believe there should be open for negotiations to take place,” said the PKR president after meetings with civil society groups and Federal Territory Pakatan Harapan leaders in Kuala Lumpur today.
Anwar was asked to comment on the government’s decision to renew Lynas’ operating licence for another six months.
Putrajaya decided on August 15 to extend Lynas Advanced Materials Plant’s operating licence for six months subject to terms and conditions.
Among the conditions for the licence renewal is the construction of a cracking and leaching facility overseas, building a permanent disposal facility for its low-level radioactive waste, and stopping its research and development work on turning its wastes for agricultural usage.
The decision was met by resistance from anti-Lynas activists who held a protest in Kuantan on Sunday. -https://www.themalaysianinsight.com
Let’s move on, Anwar says of khat lessons
KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on the public to move on from the controversial khat issue, following feedback from Putrajaya.
According to the PKR president, issues of national concern take precedence over minor ones like the teaching of the Malay-Arabic calligraphy in vernacular schools.
“Let’s work together, move on and save the country. Realise that this is our common duty,” said Anwar during a press conference today after meeting the Federal Territories Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders here at the Darul Puteri Community Centre.
Anwar was responding to Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof who claimed that Malays have compromised too much with “racists” and urged them to rise up.
“This siege mentality and harbouring of racial sentiments, it is an attempt to placate extremist sentiments or rationalise some of our limitations.
“There is nothing stopping us from embarking on more effective efforts to enhance the quality of education and level of proficiency of Bahasa Malaysia to disseminate Islam as a religion of the federation and provisions to protect the provisions under Article 153,” Anwar said.
Article 153 of the Federal Constitution grants the King responsibility for “safeguarding” the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the states of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of said Article.
“This has never been sabotaged or opposed by the non-Malays,” he added.
Mohd Redzuan was referring to the objections to the introduction of khat lessons in the Standard Four Bahasa Malaysia textbook.
The Education Ministry has since reduced the planned six pages of lessons to three and revised it to simply an introductory lesson on the jawi script.- Malay Mail
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT / MALAY MAIL
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