CONTROVERSIAL preacher Zakir Naik might hold permanent Malaysian residentship, but he is not above religious and criminal laws of the country, said Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin said Zakir, who is wanted by Interpol on allegations of terrorism, will be detained if he is found to have broken any Malaysian laws.

However, the Bersatu president evaded the question of whether Malaysia would protect the Islamic preacher from an extradition request by India.

“If he is found to have flouted the law, we will surely take appropriate action,” said Muhyiddin at the Bukit Aman police headquarters today.

“I was told that he has been given permanent resident status by the government. The issue now is, even though he has PR, he is still subject to the law, whether it is the issue of religion or crime, and he will not be protected,” he said.

India has twice requested for Zakir to be extradited to face criminal allegations.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently paid an official visit to his Malaysian counterpart Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail last week.

Zakir, who was once awarded the Maal Hijrah award during the Barisan Nasional administration, has been criticised as an Islamic extremist with links to terror networks in his home country.

However, in Malaysia, Malay rights group Perkasa, Islamic party PAS and Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainol Abidin had repeatedly defended Zakir and urged the government to offer him protection from extradition.

On November 8 last year, former deputy prime minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government had yet to receive any official extradition request from New Delhi.

Ahmad Zahid, who was also home minister, had said Putrajaya would agree to extradite Zakir if India puts forward a request.

However, he said Zakir was not currently in Malaysia. – June 4, 2018.