KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik has issued an apology for the hurt caused by his allegedly controversial remarks against Malaysian Hindus and Chinese during a talk in Kota Bharu, Kelantan on Aug 8.
He stated that it was never his intention to upset any individual or community and hoped Malaysians would not harbour ill feelings towards him.
“Even though I have clarified myself, I feel I owe an apology to everyone who feels hurt because of this misunderstanding.
“It is against the basic tenets of Islam, and I would like to convey my heartfelt apologies for this misunderstanding,” he said in a statement dated Monday.
Zakir underwent a marathon 10-hour questioning session Monday in Bukit Aman police headquarters for allegedly making the provocative remarks.
He was first questioned on Friday following the contentious remarks made in his speech against Hindus where he questioned their loyalty to the country and took a jibe at the Chinese community as “old guests” in Malaysia.
The televangelist from India, who is a permanent resident in Malaysia, is being investigated under Section 504 of the Penal Code for intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.
He has been wanted by Indian authorities since 2016 for alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches.
Zakir maintained his claim that he was accused of causing racial discord in Malaysia and his detractors have been using selectively sentences taken out of context from his speeches and adding strange fabrications to them.
Subsequent to the backlash from his speech on Aug 8, Islamic authorities in Perlis, Melaka and Sarawak have barred him from speaking in these states.
The police have also have issued a gag order on the preacher, putting a stop to his public speeches nationwide.
–NNN-BERNAMA