IGP: We’ll arrest Zakir Naik if he breaks our laws

KUALA LUMPUR: The police today promised to take action against fugitive Indian preacher Zakir Naik if he breaks any law, following confirmation that he has been given permanent residency (PR) by the government.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar today said no one, including the Islamic evangelist who is accused of money laundering in India, would be given special treatment in Malaysia.

“Permanent residents and foreign citizens who enter the country must obey the laws of Malaysia,” he said.

“The same rule applies when we travel to other countries. We must obey their laws,” he told a press conference in Bukit Aman today.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had earlier today disclosed to reporters that Naik holds PR in Malaysia.

Naik, who founded the Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) which has been declared unlawful in India, obtained his PR more than five years ago, Zahid said.

He added that it was before he became the home minister in May 2013.

The government awarded Naik the ‘Tokoh Maal Hijrah’ award in Nov 2013.

On March 1 this year, 19 individuals filed a suit against the government at the Kuala Lumpur High Court registry for allegedly harbouring him.They claimed that he encouraged terrorism in public and that his presence in Malaysia was a serious threat to the country’s safety.

Naik told a press conference yesterday that he did not want to return to India to be questioned by the authorities, claiming that he would be tortured.

India’s National Investigation Agency is seeking a Red Notice from Interpol after Naik had defied repeated summons to join in the probe into his affairs in India.

The Red Notice, a request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition, is the closest instrument to an international warrant of arrest.

EXCO Johor hadapi 33 tuduhan subahat rasuah

JOHOR BAHRU: EXCO Johor, Datuk Abd Latif Bandi bersama seorang perunding hartanah masing-masing mengaku tidak bersalah terhadap 33 tuduhan membabitkan rasuah RM30.3 juta di Mahkamah Sesyen, hari ini. Abd Latif, 51, yang juga Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan yang sedang bercuti tugas, bersama Amir Shariffuddin Abd Raub, 44, membuat pengakuan itu selepas tuduhan dibacakan di depan Hakim Mohd Fauzi Mohd Nasir. Tertuduh menghadapi tuduhan bersubahat dengan Amir Shariffuddin menerima satu suapan daripada individu membabitkan nilai keseluruhan berjumlah RM30.3 juta. Dia didakwa melalui sebuah syarikat mendapatkan kelulusan pelepasan rumah kluster dan lot Bumiputera kepada pembeli dan pengurangan bayaran wang sumbangan Tabung Perumahan Negeri Johor. Abd Latif melakukan kesalahan itu di Maybank Islamic Bhd, cawangan Larkin Perdana di sini antara 13 November 2013 hingga 19 Oktober tahun lalu. Dia didakwa mengikut Seksyen 28 (1) (C) Akta SPRM 2009 yang dibacakan bersama Seksyen 16(a)(b) dan Seksyen 24 akta sama yang boleh dihukum penjara maksimum 20 tahun dan denda tidak kurang daripada lima kali jumlah atau nilai suapan. Amir Shariffuddin pula dituduh secara rasuah menerima wang terbabit sebagai upah bagi dirinya dan Abdul Latif melalui cek daripada beberapa bank kerana melakukan transaksi untuk mendapatkan kelulusan. Dia melakukan kesalahan itu pada tarikh dan tempat yang sama. Pendakwaan dikendalikan oleh Timbalan Pendakwa Raya SPRM, Datuk Masri Mohd Daud dan Amir Nasruddin. Abd Latif diwakili oleh barisan lapan peguam diketuai Datuk Hasnal Rezua Merican manakala Amir Shariffuddin oleh Azrul Z Stork. Mahkamah membenarkan kedua-dua tertuduh diikat jamin RM2 juta seorang dengan seorang penjamin dan pasport diserahkan kepada mahkamah sehingga selesai perbicaraan. Hakim menetapkan 23 Mei ini untuk sebutan semula kes.