No new extradition request for Zakir Naik, says Saifuddin

The government has not received any new extradition requests from India for controversial preacher Zakir Naik, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says.

In a written parliamentary reply, Saifuddin said the only official extradition request from India was received on Jan 19, 2018, when Putrajaya decided not to extradite Naik.

“At present, the government has not received any new extradition requests,” he said in response to a question from Pengkalan Chepa MP Ahmad Marzuk Shaary.

Saifuddin said the decision not to extradite Naik was based on Malaysia’s rights under the extradition treaty signed with India in 2010, as well as the provisions of the Extradition Act 1992.

India sought Naik’s extradition over several allegations, including money laundering and inciting hate speech, both of which he has denied.

In 2019, then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia had the right to refuse to extradite Naik, who has permanent resident status in the country, if he would not be accorded justice.

In September, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Naik’s extradition was discussed during his meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

Following the meeting, PAS called on the government to clarify whether it had made any political commitment to India regarding Naik’s possible extradition.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the party was concerned that Naik could become a “political victim or diplomatic concession” if Malaysia sought to demonstrate its friendship with India at the expense of due legal process.