Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Zakir Naik and Bilateral Relations with India
Visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that his government is now ready to deport controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik to India. Zakir Naik has been living as a refugee in Malaysia and is wanted in India on charges of Islamic extremism and money laundering. Anwar Ibrahim said this during a speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs on Tuesday night, stating that Malaysia will not hesitate to hand over Naik if strong evidence is available against him. He has communicated that bilateral relations between India and Malaysia should not be allowed to suffer because of a single individual like Zakir Naik.
Why is Zakir Naik in Malaysia?
Zakir Naik escaped to Malaysia in 2016 to avoid charges of Islamic extremism and money laundering in India. The then Malaysian government granted permanent residency to him. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim referred to this issue during his visit to India, as he said that it was two years ago when the then Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi asked Malaysia to extradite Zakir Naik to India. According to Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia had expressed concern over terrorism and that India had to furnish every evidence regarding Zakir Naik, adding he would review it. He said this should not hamper the friendly and bilateral relations of the two nations.
Also Read : Putin, Azerbaijani President Meet in Baku to Strengthen Ties Amid Tensions
Further, Anwar Ibrahim lambasted the West for its hypocritical stand, pointing out how they all speak of condemnable violence elsewhere while maintaining complete silence over the injustices heaped on the people of Gaza, the Palestinians. He said 40,000 have died in Gaza and yet the double standards of Western countries have not come to the fore. This is the first visit to India by Anwar Ibrahim since becoming the Prime Minister of Malaysia in 2022. It is a three-day visit to strengthen the relationship between Malaysia and India.
