KUALA LUMPUR – Controversial preacher Zakir Naik is expected to return to Malaysia from Oman after the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.
His lawyer, Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader, told Harian Metro that the preacher is safe and treated well in Muscat, Oman, where he was invited for religious talks during Ramadan.
Last week, the high court here ruled that having scheduled events in Oman was not reason enough to postpone his defamation hearing against Bagan Dalam assemblyman Satees Muniandy.
Zakir, who was scheduled to take the witness stand between April 17 and 20, acknowledged that he could give evidence through Zoom, but would instead like to do so in person.
However, Shamsher Singh Thind, the lawyer representing Satees, argued in a letter to the court that the trial dates had been scheduled since 2021, adding that Zakir should have considered this before making any overseas trip.
Zakir is suing Satees over a Malaysiakini article published on August 12, 2019, whereby the DAP representative said the preacher should be deported from Malaysia after alleging Malaysian Indians show more loyalty to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Last month, reports surfaced that Zakir had arrived in Oman for a series of religious programmes.
It was also reported that the Indian high commission in Oman had requested Oman authorities to detain Zakir upon his arrival.
Zakir, who now resides in Malaysia as a permanent resident, is facing allegations in India involving money laundering, terrorism, and inciting religious tensions. – The Vibes, April 14, 2023
