DON’T OVERREACT TO ZAKIR NAIK, IGP TELLS HINDRAF

Top cop says police are monitoring the preacher in the wake of Hindraf asking the UN’s Counter-Terrorism Committee to advise Malaysia to stop harbouring Naik.

(FMT) – Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar has told Indian rights group Hindraf that it does not need to “overreact” on the issue of controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s presence in Malaysia.

He said the police are keeping an eye on Naik who is wanted in India over money-laundering and terrorism-related investigations.

“Hindraf need not overreact over Zakir Naik.” Khalid told FMT in a text message.

“The police will be monitoring him and his activities,” he said.

Khalid was responding to reports that Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy had on Friday sent a letter to the UN Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), asking it to advise Malaysia as a member state to stop harbouring Naik.

“We, in Malaysia, do not want our country to be used for terrorist installations or training camps, or for the preparation or organisation of terrorist acts intended to be committed either domestically or internationally,” Waythamoorty said in the letter addressed to CTC chairman Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta.

The former deputy minister said Naik may have shifted his base of operations to Malaysia to promote or support sectarian activities.

He also called on the CTC to advise the Malaysian representative there to cooperate by denying Naik safe haven, revoke his permanent residency (PR), freeze his assets and activities, and apply the “principle of extradition”.

India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has issued a notice to Naik to return to the country for questioning.

The authorities there have also filed a money-laundering case against Naik, while his Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) has been accused of inciting Muslims and promoting enmity between different communities.

Earlier reports that Naik was given citizenship by Putrajaya had not gone down well with many Malaysians, especially those from the Hindu community who said Naik had run down Hinduism and other religions.

On Friday, a group representing 28 local NGOs protested outside the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, chanting slogans like “Zakir Naik, go back to India” and “Zakir Naik, illegal immigrant”.

However, Naik also has a considerable following in Malaysia. He has even had audiences with Prime Minister Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

On April 18, Zahid disclosed that Naik had been given his Malaysian PR more than five years ago, adding that it was issued before he took over the post of home minister in May 2013.

He said Naik is not banned from entering Malaysia because he has not broken any laws in the country.

He also said the immigration department would blacklist all individuals who were deemed a threat to the security and peace of the country, based on information from the relevant authorities.