The public speaking ban on Zakir Naik was issued by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) in 2019 through an internal memo by the then deputy Inspector-General of Police. It was not announced to the press, and media who got wind of it had to confirm its existence with PDRM’s corporate communications unit. — Youtube screenshot, February 5, 2025
What happened to gag order on Zakir Naik? Activists urge for probe after preacher’s public speech in Perlis
Lack of authorities’ action will embolden him to sow further hate, one lawyer says
Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain
Updated 2 hours ago
5 February, 2025
8:15 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR – Social activists have urged authorities to investigate fugitive preacher Zakir Naik’s speech at the Perlis International Sunnah Convention 2025 last month as he is still known to be under a police ban from speaking in Malaysia.
Global Human Rights Federation president S. Shashi Kumar said the ban on Zakir’s public speeches had been imposed in 2019 to curb his divisive rhetoric and prevent further harm to the country’s social harmony.
Shashi also cautioned that the Indian national’s apparent continued ability to deliver talks and speeches to the masses only serves to exacerbate racial and religious harmony issues.
“Malaysia is already grappling with numerous sensitive issues, including racial tensions, unlawful and covert conversions to Islam and the troubling practice of minors or schoolchildren being converted without their parents’ knowledge or consent.
“(Zakir’s) rhetoric has the potential to further inflame racial tensions, sow division and threaten the nation’s hard-won peace and harmony,” Shashi told Scoop.
He added that for the sake of national unity, Zakir, who is wanted by Indian authorities since 2016 for alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speech, must be prevented from speaking further in Malaysia.
On February 2, Scoop reported that despite the nationwide ban against his public speeches, Zakir had addressed a crowd at the Perlis International Sunnah Convention 2025, held from January 24 to 26 in Kangar and endorsed by the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council.
Based on a brief clip uploaded to the Dr Zakir Naik Answers Youtube channel on Jan 29, Zakir had called on Malaysian Muslims to intensify their efforts to spread Islam to non-Muslims, furthering his controversial message during a question-and-answer session at the event.
What happened to gag order on Zakir Naik? Activists urge for probe after preacher’s public speech in Perlis
Lack of authorities’ action will embolden him to sow further hate, one lawyer says
Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain
Updated 2 hours ago
5 February, 2025
8:15 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR – Social activists have urged authorities to investigate fugitive preacher Zakir Naik’s speech at the Perlis International Sunnah Convention 2025 last month as he is still known to be under a police ban from speaking in Malaysia.
Global Human Rights Federation president S. Shashi Kumar said the ban on Zakir’s public speeches had been imposed in 2019 to curb his divisive rhetoric and prevent further harm to the country’s social harmony.
Shashi also cautioned that the Indian national’s apparent continued ability to deliver talks and speeches to the masses only serves to exacerbate racial and religious harmony issues.
“Malaysia is already grappling with numerous sensitive issues, including racial tensions, unlawful and covert conversions to Islam and the troubling practice of minors or schoolchildren being converted without their parents’ knowledge or consent.
“(Zakir’s) rhetoric has the potential to further inflame racial tensions, sow division and threaten the nation’s hard-won peace and harmony,” Shashi told Scoop.
He added that for the sake of national unity, Zakir, who is wanted by Indian authorities since 2016 for alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speech, must be prevented from speaking further in Malaysia.
On February 2, Scoop reported that despite the nationwide ban against his public speeches, Zakir had addressed a crowd at the Perlis International Sunnah Convention 2025, held from January 24 to 26 in Kangar and endorsed by the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council.
Based on a brief clip uploaded to the Dr Zakir Naik Answers Youtube channel on Jan 29, Zakir had called on Malaysian Muslims to intensify their efforts to spread Islam to non-Muslims, furthering his controversial message during a question-and-answer session at the event.
Zakir Naik’s Instagram post promoting the event in Perlis last month. – Instagram pic, February 5, 2025
The police’s ban on Zakir from public speaking was issued in an internal memo by then deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Mazlan Manson, which media received wind of and confirmed with Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) corporate communications in August 2019.
Meanwhile, lawyer Siti Kasim who has been a critic of Zakir’s extremist views, told Scoop that his recent public speaking engagement meant a lack of action by the authorities and would reflect badly on the government.
She also said Zakir might feel as if he is above the law.
“The so-called Muslim preachers like him know that they will get away with anything despite breaking the laws of our country and going against the government’s rules.
“They will continue to do things illegally with impunity because they know they’ll never be touched by our authorities. So, who do we put the blame on then?” she told Scoop.
Siti also noted how the ban against Zakir’s public speeches six years ago came about after 100 police reports for inflaming racial tensions were filed against him, and added that the public have grown “tired” with the authorities inaction.
At that time, Zakir had made comments during public speeches in Kota Baru Kelantan, where he reportedly claimed that Malaysian Indians were more loyal to the Narendra Modi government in India.
He is also understood to have described the Malaysian Chinese community as “old guests” who should go back to their ancestral land. For the record, Zakir had claimed then that his remarks were taken out of context by the media and apologised for any misunderstandings.
Last month’s Perlis International Sunnah Convention 2025 also saw the attendance of Perlis Mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.
In August last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia would consider India’s request to extradite Zakir but only if India provides evidence of his extremism.
Scoop has sent queries to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail multiple times, but they have yet to respond. – February 5, 2025
The police’s ban on Zakir from public speaking was issued in an internal memo by then deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Mazlan Manson, which media received wind of and confirmed with Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) corporate communications in August 2019.
Meanwhile, lawyer Siti Kasim who has been a critic of Zakir’s extremist views, told Scoop that his recent public speaking engagement meant a lack of action by the authorities and would reflect badly on the government.
She also said Zakir might feel as if he is above the law.
“The so-called Muslim preachers like him know that they will get away with anything despite breaking the laws of our country and going against the government’s rules.
“They will continue to do things illegally with impunity because they know they’ll never be touched by our authorities. So, who do we put the blame on then?” she told Scoop.
Siti also noted how the ban against Zakir’s public speeches six years ago came about after 100 police reports for inflaming racial tensions were filed against him, and added that the public have grown “tired” with the authorities inaction.
At that time, Zakir had made comments during public speeches in Kota Baru Kelantan, where he reportedly claimed that Malaysian Indians were more loyal to the Narendra Modi government in India.
He is also understood to have described the Malaysian Chinese community as “old guests” who should go back to their ancestral land. For the record, Zakir had claimed then that his remarks were taken out of context by the media and apologised for any misunderstandings.
Last month’s Perlis International Sunnah Convention 2025 also saw the attendance of Perlis Mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.
In August last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia would consider India’s request to extradite Zakir but only if India provides evidence of his extremism.
Scoop has sent queries to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail multiple times, but they have yet to respond. – February 5, 2025
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