Its president Ibrahim Ali also said that Naik – who was recently made an honorary member of Perkasa – was in need of protection as he feared he would be tortured at the hands of the Indian authorities, should he return to his country.
“It is the same as when Maria Chin Abdullah and other activists were arrested by police, where many feared that they would be treated badly. The same goes for those who question police treatment of Sosma detainees,” he said, referring to the Bersih 2.0 chief who was arrested last year on the eve of the Nov 19 Bersih 5 rally.
Sosma is the acronym for the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, which allows police to arrest an individual without a warrant and detain them for 28 days.
Ibrahim was speaking to reporters after chairing a roundtable meeting on the impact of China’s investments on Malaysia’s geo-political scene.
Last week, Naik claimed he would be tortured if he returned to India where he is wanted for investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with his alleged role in a terror-related case and over money laundering allegations.
Yesterday, a court in India issued a second non-bailable warrant of arrest against the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) founder.
Ibrahim also said that allegations that Naik was promoting terrorism and had insulted other religions were baseless if one were to review the videos of his talks.
Comparing one religion with another is a topic that is discussed every day all around the world, he said.
“So we need to be fair and not judge based on sentiment.
“Plus, Zakir’s lectures are meant for Muslims. If non-Muslims want to attend it, we cannot stop them.”
Meanwhile, Perkasa’s national agenda and economics bureau chairman Ruhanie Ahmad urged Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam to resign if he disagreed with Naik being awarded PR status.
Two days ago, the MIC president had said that Naik had “no place in Malaysia” and was not going to contribute to the advancement of Islam in the country.
But Ruhanie said that the decision was made and agreed to by the Cabinet
“He is a Cabinet member and if he disagrees, he should step down.”
On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi admitted that Naik has permanent resident (PR) status in Malaysia.
Zahid, who is also home minister, said the Indian national had been given his Malaysian PR more than five years ago, adding that it was issued before his time in charge of the ministry.
Perkasa: France protected Khomeini, why can’t Malaysia protect Zakir Naik