KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for a temporary 'break' on the uproar surrounding the controversial televangelist from India, Dr Zakir Naik.
In his interview with India Today Global, he said the issues involving Zakir were not raised during his visit to India this week and expressed Malaysia's appreciation of concerns raised by its counterpart regarding the famous preacher.
He said the issues surrounding Zakir should not be a concern for now as long as the preacher does not create any issues between the two countries, particularly involving security.
"We have to respect due process, he has not been active in Malaysia, he travels outside, and comes back to Malaysia from time to time (but) he is not issuing statements or political statements that are against India or Malaysia.
"I think for a number of reasons let the matter rest for a while," Anwar said.
Besides, he also rejected the idea that the controversy surrounding Zakir would impact the bilateral ties between the two countries.
Earlier today Anwar was quoted as said by Uttar Pradesh-based India Today suggesting that Malaysia will consider India's request to extradite Zakir if evidence of the controversial televangelist's extremism is provided.
Zakir has evaded Indian authorities since 2016, accused of hate speech and money laundering after a deadly attack in Dhaka. India formally requested his extradition in 2019 and continues to pursue the case. He is believed to be residing in Putrajaya under asylum since 2018.
In Malaysia, he was accused of undermining religious harmony and in July 2019, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed acknowledged Malaysia's multiracial society could not tolerate extreme views, but noted difficulties in deporting Zakir, as many countries refused to accept him.
By August 2019, Malaysian authorities banned Dr Zakir from public speaking nationwide to preserve national security and racial harmony.
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