Zakir Naik clearly wants to participate in racial politics, says PM

(NST) – The police will have to investigate if controversial Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik is causing racial tension in the country.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said it was “quite clear” that Zakir wanted to participate in racial politics.

“He is stirring up racial feelings. The police will have to investigate whether it is causing tension, obviously, it is.

“Whatever action we take will be according to the rule of law, because this government respects the rule of law,” he told reporters after opening the 2019 World Statistics Congress, here, today.

He said Zakir, as a permanent resident of this country, could not participate in politics.

“You can preach (religiously). But he wasn’t doing that.

“He was talking about Chinese going back to China and Indians going back to India.

“I have never said such things. But he did. That is politics,” he added.

It was reported that during his ceramah in Kota Baru last Thursday, Zakir had compared Hindus in Malaysia to Muslims in India, by claiming that the Hindus here enjoyed 100 times more rights than Muslims in India.

He also questioned if the Hindus here were more loyal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi than Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad with regard to Modi wanting him to return to India to face charges and Dr Mahathir did not.

During the same event, Zakir had reportedly called on the Malaysian Chinese to “go back” first as they were the “old guests” of the country in commenting on Malaysians who wanted him to leave.