Ti: Teo should step down for not preventing Zakir Naik from speaking at UUM

PETALING JAYA: Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching should step down for not putting a stop to controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s expected talk at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), says MCA vice president Ti Lian Ker.

Ti said Teo “failed big time” when she did not advise UUM against inviting Zakir Naik to speak at the university.

He said this was also against DAP’s official stance that Zakir Naik is a “clear liability to Malaysia”.

“Instead of using her ministerial office to advise UUM of the potential damage and negative influence on the students, along her party’s official stand, she had chosen the easy way out by quoting ‘autonomy’ and ‘freedom,” he said in a statement on Monday (April 15).

Teo had reportedly said it was for the university to answer the issue, as it was part of its autonomy.

When pressed for the Education Ministry’s stance on the matter, she had replied, “Let the university answer that first, lah.”

Ti said Teo had escaped from her responsibility to Malaysians who had voted her in to uphold the Malaysian way, which includes barring all “elements of extremism”.

“It has always been MCA’s stand that there is no room for extremism in Malaysia, and we would not have to accede or encourage the ways of these extremists by quoting ‘freedom’ or ‘autonomy’, when

the duty is to remind or give a reminder to the authorities,” he said.

MCA is “appalled” at the irresponsibility of Teo, he said, who had “escaped” from discharging her duties by giving a “flimsy and unthinkable excuse”.

“DAP should admonish, reprimand or take disciplinary action on her for failing to uphold the party’s principles and promises to the people, and to ensure that other leaders will not be similarly irresponsible and negligent in discharging their duties and responsibilities to the people who have voted them in.

“Teo should resign for failing to uphold and moderate the New Malaysia, away from extremists and ‘terrorists’,” he said.

Zakir is wanted in his home country of India for alleged money laundering and terrorism, and has been living in Malaysia where he has permanent residency.

According to a poster circulated on social media, he is scheduled to speak at the UUM’s Mufadzam Shah hall on April 18.

The open event titled “Duty for a Muslim as a Professional” will take place between 8.30pm to 11.30pm.- Star