Monday, 12 August 2019

Lawmaker fumes after Zakir suggests Hindus here support Modi over Dr M

Bagan Dalam assemblyperson M Satees has suggested for Zakir Naik to be sent away from Malaysia to a neutral country after he suggested that Hindus in Malaysia were more loyal to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi than to Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"How long is the Malaysian government going to let this guy stay in our country and stir racial and religious tensions among Malaysians? The Malaysian government's justification to keep him in Malaysia is that he will not get ‘a fair trial’ in India.

"But is it worth to keep him here when the harmony and peace of Malaysian society are threatened by his constant hate preaching?" Satees said in a statement.

He said, however, that he recognised the concern that Zakir may be tortured if he is sent back to his home country of India.

"So why not send him to some other country where his preachings will not threaten peace and harmony?

"Zakir Naik has Saudi citizenship, why not send him there? Don’t tell us that Saudi Arabia will let their fellow brethren to face 'unjust infidel laws' if he’s sent there?" he said.

Satees (pic) said Zakir's latest statement, made during a roadshow in Kelantan organised by the PAS-led government there, brought into question the loyalty of Hindus in Malaysia.

During a ceramah, Zakir had said: "In India, we Muslims are a minority, according to the government, 14.5 percent [...] here, the non-Muslims, the Hindus, are 6.4 percent in Malaysia but they get more than 100 times more rights than Muslims in India".

"Good [...] I'm not saying take away their rights [...] they are half the percentage of (Muslims) in India and yet the rights they get here is 100 times more than what India gives to minorities so much so they support the prime minister of India and not the prime minister of Malaysia," he said.

Satees said Zakir's statement was tantamount to accusing Hindu Malaysians of being disloyal to Malaysia.

"This foreign criminal who is running away from the law of his own motherland, has no right to question the loyalty of Malaysian Hindus.

"We are proud citizens of Malaysia because we don’t have to use our religion as a justification to run away from criminal charges and we are loyal to this country, for which our forefathers have shed their sweat and blood to build," said the DAP lawmaker.

Zakir, a permanent resident, is in self-imposed exile in the country and he is wanted in his native India on money-laundering charges. Putrajaya has refused to deport the preacher expressing concern about whether he will receive a fair trial.

Saturday, 27 July 2019

Indira claims Zakir Naik supporters helping ex-husband hide daughter

Written by Malaysian Indian Forum 05:04

M Indira Gandhi's (photo) struggle to be reunited with her estranged daughter Prasana Diksa continues with a rights group today claiming to receive information that her ex-husband was receiving assistance from three groups that included supporters of controversial preacher Zakir Naik.

Indira Gandhi Action Team (Ingat) spokesperson Arun Doraisamy said she had lodged a report at Petaling Jaya police station this morning with the hope that an investigation will be carried out to verify the information that they received through public tip-offs.

"The police report lodged today was based on the latest information we received last week," Arun told a press conference with Indira at Wisma Hindu Sangam in Petaling Jaya.

Aside from Zakir's supporters, Indira in her report also alleged involvement by PAS-friendly NGOs and southern Thailand separatists in helping to shelter her ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, who is wanted by the police.

"From 2009 until now we know there were PAS-friendly groups. Before I say this today, I thought about it a few times but I have to say it out loud.

"And now the new information we received, there are groups of Zakir Naik's followers. This too I thought a few times on how to say it," said Arun.

He claimed the help given to Riduan, who is said to be jobless, included monetary assistance as well as logistics aid.

As for the southern Thailand separatist groups, Arun claimed Ingat was informed that they had assisted Muhammad Ridhuan in leaving Kelantan and past the border, despite not having a valid passport.

"People have sighted him. But it’s a small village so people are reluctant to give (confirm) their identity," said Arun, adding that Ingat and Indira had presented all information they received to former inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun during a meeting at Bukit Aman on April 19.

"We had a sighting. If previously we were worried whether the child (Prasana) was still alive or not, now we are pretty much confident that she is," he added.

Despite police's failure to locate Riduan and enforce a court order for him to return Prasana to Indira, Arun claimed the groups are supporting Reduan’s movement from Kelantan to Golok, together with a new wife and their children.

Indira in her police report also urged authorities to investigate the 27-year-old woman for allegedly abetting Riduan, who had abducted Prasana a decade ago as an 11-month-old child and has not been seen since.

Both Arun and Indira today insisted that the case had gone beyond the issue of forced conversion.

"If she wants to continue her life as a Muslim, that is her choice.

"It does not matter whether she is Muslim or not, she (Prasana) is still her (Indira)'s daughter," said an emotional Arun.

Indira also teared up as she insisted that her only wish is to be reunited with Prasana.

Riduan took Prasana away and unilaterally converted his three children to Islam in 2009.

A lengthy legal battle between Riduan and Indira then ensued, involving both the syariah and civil courts.

Indira’s two eldest children now live with her, but Prasana and her father’s whereabouts remain unknown.

In February, Fuzi said information had not been forthcoming from the public, despite various appeals for help made by the police.

In 2014, the High Court issued an arrest warrant for Riduan but the police have yet to locate him.

Last year, the Federal Court unanimously declared the children’s unilateral conversion to Islam to be unlawful.

Did you bother to check? Ingat asks PAS on groups 'hiding' Indira's daughter

Written by Malaysian Indian Forum 05:01

The Indra Gandhi Action Team (Ingat) has refused to budge over its claim that groups that are friendly to PAS have been helping to hide Indira Gandhi's daughter, who has been in the centre of a unilateral conversion and custody tussle.

This came after PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man yesterday denied the allegation and demanded an apology.

Ingat chairperson Arun Doraisamy, who had also claimed the involvement of preacher Zakir Naik and southern Thai separatist groups, said he would not withdraw his statement.

"Tuan Ibrahim got so defensive so fast before even asking us the justification (for our allegation).

"I doubt if he even tried to check on their NGOs within the state (PAS-led Kelantan) that is friendly to them or directly linked to them," he said in a statement today.

Arun claimed that Indira's daughter is presently studying in a non-registered religious school in Kelantan.

"Ingat would like to seek the cooperation of Kelantan state government to help us track the missing child to show they are sincere," he said.

Indira has been in a custody tussle with her ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, who unilaterally converted her children to Islam and obtained custody of them through the Syariah courts.

This led to a lengthy legal battle between Riduan and Indira, involving both the syariah and civil courts.

Indira’s two eldest children now live with her, but the whereabouts of the youngest and her father remain unknown.

In 2014, the High Court issued an arrest warrant for Riduan but the police have yet to locate him.

We are getting beaten everywhere.

Written by Malaysian Indian Forum 04:59