Who you gonna call on Zakir Naik?

Although some may feel that Indian Cabinet members have more responsibility in the Zakir Naik issue, the onus should be on MPs from all ethnicities to deal with such matters.

COMMENT

By SP Nathan

Zakir Naik, the man with a fantastic memory. He has read all the holy books plus extras and consigned them to memory, making easy recall a tool with which to impress and convince some of his religious prowess. Today in Malaysia, there are calls for him to be prosecuted for insulting religions and sent back to India, his homeland, presumably due to an extradition order.

I am not a fan of Naik. I have seen some of his speeches on YouTube. He can converse in English, which most Indian doctors like him can do. He has a great memory and has developed a way of speaking that impresses many. He loves the attention but hates being challenged. He is not inclusive, nor is he a builder of communities. He can be patronising, and chides some for being “dumb”. I remember him asking a girl to leave the hall simply because she challenged him and he was unable to give a reasonable answer. Yes – he likes to be in control.

But my intention in writing is not about Naik as such. The Zakir Naik case is interesting because it brings to the fore one important issue that confronts the Indian community, from which most of the dissatisfaction about Naik appears to stem – that of parliamentary representation.

Many are clamouring for the Indian MPs in the Cabinet to seek his repatriation because they claim there is a pending extradition order in addition to his supposedly unlawful activities in Malaysia. But I wonder why that responsibility should be solely on the shoulders of the Indian lawmakers.

Should it not be the responsibility of all MPs from all ethnicities to ensure that the rule of law prevails? Was it not our aspiration for Malaysia 2.0 that we move beyond racial representation?

Folks, if you have any grouses about Naik, go and see your elected representatives or write to them. Since you have elected them, they should hear you out and either agree to escalate the matter or convince you otherwise.

We should move beyond Indian MPs in addressing “Indian” issues. Let us recalibrate our modus operandi. In Malaysia 2.0, your elected representative should be your first port of call.

SP Nathan is an FMT reader.