MALAYSIA does not need religious extremists here to threaten the peace, says Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at an event celebrating the Telugu new year today.
 
In a veiled reference to wanted Indian national Dr Zakir Naik, who was given permanent resident status in Malaysia five years ago, Zahid said extremists were not welcome in Malaysia as they threatened the peace and harmony of multiracial Malaysia.

“Malaysian have to unite. We do not want Muslim extremists or Hindu extremists or Buddhist extremists and other extremists here because we want to have peace in Malaysia,” said Zahid during a Ugadi gathering at Dataran Merdeka earlier today.
 
He said it took a lot of work for the previous and current leaders to create a peaceful environment for a multiracial, multi-religious community and it took even more work to preserve it.

Zahid’s speech comes at the height of the public outcry, especially from the Hindu community, that had risen over the permanent resident status of the Islamist preacher wanted by India for allegedly spreading terror propaganda.
 
Zakir’s PR approval caused some Malaysians, including MIC Youth, to lodge multiple police reports against him. The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) have also asked the government to bar the preacher from entering the country.
 
MIC president Dr S. Subramaniam last week said Zakir was not needed in the country as his contributions to the advancement of  Islam had not benefitted Malaysia.

“We can do without Zakir Naik, as he is doing it outside the Malaysian context. Here, if you are Buddhist, you are doing it in a Malaysian context…if you are Hindu, you are doing it in Malaysian context,” said Dr Subramaniam in the final address for the night at the National Transformation initiative (TN50) dialogue at Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

He was addressing Indian youths who had expressed anger at Zakir’s presence in Malaysia.
 
The debate over Zakir’s PR status has not been limited to Hindus in the country. Perlis mufti Dr Asri Zainal Abidin attracted a slew of criticisms when he penned a poem questioning Narendra Modi’s government’s treatment of Muslims in India.

In his poem published on Facebook, Asri, popularly known as Dr Maza, made references to the deification of cows and the caste system.
 
The poem was taken down today. – April 23, 2017.