THANK God for Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar.

Finally, someone gave Malaysians a straight answer. After more than a week of conflicting answers and a weak attempt by the home minister to link the Turkish nationals arrested with the Islamic State terrorist group, Khalid said the trio were linked to the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (Feto).

Using his preferred platform of speaking to Malaysians, the IGP ‎tweeted that Turgay Karaman, Ihsan Aslan and Ismet Ozcelik had been packed off to Ankara last night. 

He said Feto had been outlawed by Turkey and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Turkey’s leader Reccip Tayyip Erdogan has accused US-based Fethullah Gulen of being the mastermind behind the coup on July 15 last year. He has moved to purge Gulen sympathetic from government service. 

Given the speed at which the arrests and the deportation were made for the three Turkish nationals, can we expect the same diligence from the authorities in sending controversial preacher Zakir Naik to India?

After all, the Najib administration has won international kudos for adopting a tough stance against terrorism. Even the mere possession of literature belonging to Islamic State is enough for someone to be jailed for five years.

Now we have India saying that it had asked Interpol to issue a red corner notice to arrest Zakir for terror and money laundering. 

The Interpol notice would result in the preacher being declared an international fugitive. Indian authorities recently concluded a 10-month long probe into Zakir. Following that investigation, Zakir’s group, the Islamic Research Foundation and Peace TV was banned.

‎The probe also showed that Zakir owned 37 properties and companies run by him were estimated to be worth millions ‎of ringgit. 

Late last month, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Zakir has been granted permanent residency. This decision by the Najib administration shocked Malaysians, given the preacher’s penchant to talk down about the religious beliefs of non-Muslims.

Muslim groups have defended his track record as a religious scholar. But now India has upped the ante. Can the police ignore an Interpol notice?

Can Putrajaya afford to alienate a country that Prime Minister Najib Razak is courting?

Can the security agencies here deport three Turkish nationals for allegedly being part of a terrorist organisation aimed at destabilising Turkey, and ignore the request to hand over one individual accused of trying to destabilise India?

You can’t be against terrorism on Thursday and okay with it the rest of the week. Right? – May 12, 2017.