Anwar: We shouldn't pander to racial, religious sentiments

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim today cautioned against pandering to bigoted racial-religious sentiments on contentious issues, including the status of controversial preacher Zakir Naik.

Asked whether he feared backlash from Muslim groups if a decision was to be made to deport Zakir, Anwar said: "I don’t believe we should pander to the sentiments of either purely racial or religious bigotry."

“Islam stands very clear on the principle of justice and tolerance, and I am guided by that," Anwar told reporters in Shah Alam after attending the National Professional Motivators Convention.

“This is a multi-religious and multiracial country with Islam as the religion of the federation. We should stick to that principle," said the Port Dickson MP.

Asked whether he would be willing to meet Zakir, Anwar said there was no need for him to do so.

Anwar, who recently returned from performing the Hajj in Mecca, however, said a formal stand from PKR would only be made after its political bureau meeting on Wednesday.

"I have my views but because I just returned, the leadership wants to present their views because they have been following the (Zakir) issue closely.

"When I was on the haj I did not really follow it...therefore I'm giving them (PKR leaders) space to share their views," said Anwar who noted that it was a contentious issue which had enraged certain parties.

"I have appealed for a need for reasoned discourse, for an understanding, before we come up with any views," he added.

Zakir, who is a Malaysian permanent resident, had courted flak for questioning the loyalty of Hindu Malaysians and suggesting Chinese Malaysians are "old guests" in the country.

According to CID director Huzir Mohamed, up to 115 police reports were lodged against Zakir about his remarks made during a speech in Kelantan last week.

Zakir himself had retaliated by lodging a police report against five high-ranking individuals for allegedly defaming him, as well as filing a defamation suit against Human Resource Minister M Kulasegaran. - Mkini