KANGAR: Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has put forth the suggestion for controversial Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik and Penang deputy chief minister II Dr P Ramasamy to have an open debate.
He said the debate should be aired live so that it can be seen by people from walks of life.
"In the spirit of a New Malaysia that is more open and transparent in making matured and intellectual judgments, I would like to suggest for a debate between Dr Zakir and Ramasamy to be done soon.
"The title is 'Who is the real terrorist?'. There should also be room for the media to air it live. Let the rakyat be the witness to this polemic," Dr Mohd Asri said on Facebook, today.
Dr Zakir is wanted by the Indian government for alleged money-laundering and terrorism.
Meanwhile, Dr Mohd Asri had previously shared a post on Facebook, urging Dr Ramasamy to be investigated for alleged ties to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka.
Commenting further on the debate, Dr Mohd Asri said if the DAP leader prioritised freedom of speech, intellectual values and the rights of the rakyat to assess the truth, his suggestion should be accepted.
"If they don't, then clearly this issue is nothing more than their enmity with Muslims," Dr Mohd Asri said.
"Based on their demands, I suggest that whoever loses in the debate, maybe they can be sent back to India as per their wishes. One of them will be sent back there," he added, expressing hope that all quarters, especially the rakyat would urge for the debate to take place soon.