Nur Jazlan: Dr Zakir not granted citizenship

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed has denied reports claiming that controversial Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik has been granted Malaysian citizenship.

“Recognising him will affect our relationship with India, who sees him as anti-Hindu,” he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

Nur Jazlan cautioned against granting Dr Zakir citizenship as many associated him with Islamic extremist groups in many countries.

“It will be bad for the country if he attracts these extremist groups to Malaysia,” he said.

Nur Jazlan said: “We would be inviting religious, racial and extremist problems from South Asia to an already racially and religiously tense country like Malaysia.

“That’s why the government has to consider carefully if he had applied to become a citizen.”

On Sunday, the Hindustan Times claimed that Dr Zakir had been given Malaysian citizenship and that he was hiding in the country after his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) was banned by Indian authorities.

The report quoted one of Dr Zakir’s representatives, who claimed that the citizenship was offered as a package deal to the Muslim preacher when he was awarded the Tokoh Maal Hijrah award back in 2013.

Nur Jazlan dismissed the allegation, saying that Dr Zakir was not an important religious personality in Southeast Asia and that it would take decades to become a citizen.

“We don’t give citizenships automatically unless the person was born in the country to Malaysian parents,” he said.

Nur Jazlan said no action would be taken against the Hindustan Times as it was a foreign newspaper and not circulated in Malaysia.

It was also reported that India’s National Investigation Agency was considering terror charges against Dr Zakir, based on testimonies of about 50 terror suspects and convicts who claimed that they were inspired and motivated by Dr Zakir.