CONTROVERSIAL Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik apologised on Tuesday (20) for making racially sensitive remarks in Malaysia after police banned him from speaking in public and questioned him for hours over the comments.
Naik, who faces charges of money laundering and hate speech in India, has come under fire for comments that pitted Malaysia's ethnic and religious minorities against the predominantly Muslim Malay majority.
Malaysian police grilled Naik for 10 hours on Monday (19) about a speech this month in which he said Hindus in Malaysia had "100 times more rights" than the Muslim minority in India, and that Malaysian Chinese were guests of the country.
Race and religion are sensitive issues in Malaysia, where Muslims make up about 60 per cent of its 32 million people.
The rest are mostly ethnic Chinese and Indians, most of whom are Hindus.
Naik, who has lived in Malaysia for about three years, apologised for his remarks but insisted that he was not a racist. He said his detractors had taken his comments out of context and added "strange fabrications to them".
"It was never my intention to upset any individual or community," he said in a statement on Tuesday.
"It is against the basic tenets of Islam, and I would like to convey my heartfelt apologies for this misunderstanding," Naik said.
Naik has permanent residency in Malaysia, and several ministers called for his expulsion after his controversial remarks.
Police have also banned Naik from speaking in public since August 15, due to concerns over national security and racial harmony, spokeswoman Asmawati Ahmad said.
Prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Sunday (18) Naik was free to preach about Islam but should not speak about Malaysia's racial politics, state media said.
(Reuters)
6.9K views · 135 reactions | I’m genuinely shocked and saddened by reports that Will Jackson, Conservative candidate for North Harrow in the elections next month, has told British-born Asian MPs like Rishi Sunak and Shabana Mahmood that they are “not British” and should “go back to Pakistan,” He also suggested figures like Anthony Joshua and Dua Lipa aren’t British.I have raised this important matter in Parliament today, because there is no place for racism in our politics.I’m proud of Harrow’s diverse, close-knit communities. Every candidate should seek to unite people, not divide them.This matter must be taken seriously. I welcome the Conservative Party’s statement that Mr Jackson’s comments are wholly unacceptable and their decision to suspend him.But serious questions remain about how he was selected as a candidate in the first place, and why he was considered fit to represent our community.https://bylinetimes.com/2026/04/13/conservative-candidate-tells-british-mps-to-go-back-to-pakistan/🎥 👇 | Gareth Thomas MP 
