Malaysia Wants To Send Zakir To A Safe Country Mahathir Tells India News Outlet

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A third stint in Putrajaya as prime minister will not see Dr Mahathir Mohamad approving India's request for the extradition of fugitive preacher Dr Zakir Naik, according to the former premier
Instead, Mahathir told Indian news outlet WION in a recent interview that Zakir, who has held permanent residence status in Malaysia since 2016, would most likely be sent to another country where "he would be safe"
"The situation in India with regard to Muslim-Hindu relations is not so good. There have been cases of people being lynched
"So, he is, I think not very welcomed in India," said the 95-year-old who sparked fresh speculations on his possible return to power after the launch of his newest party on Friday
Zakir now lives in exile as he is wanted in India on money laundering charges. The televangelist was granted permanent resident status here during BN's rule and has reportedly held Saudi Arabian citizenship since 2017
To questions from the interviewer, Mahathir insisted that strained Muslim-Hindu ties in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had prompted Malaysia's resistance to requests for Zakir's extradition
"We thought, for the time being, he can stay here, but we would like to send him to some other country where he would be safe
"Unfortunately, not many countries are willing to accept him," said Mahathir who, during his 22-month stint at the helm of the Pakatan Harapan-led government, triggered strained ties with Modi over remarks made on the Kashmir conflict
Dr Zakir NaikLast Sept 27, Mahathir in a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, said that India and Pakistan should work together to resolve the conflict over claims on Jammu and Kashmir, prompting an Indian trade body to call for a boycott of Malaysia's palm oil produce
Mahathir, however, maintained that Malaysia's relations with India remain good overall, a policy maintained throughout the tenure of all of India's prime ministers
When it was pointed out that his comments on the Kashmir conflict would not be well accepted by any Indian premier, Mahathir insisted he would similarly speak out against any wrongdoings committed anywhere in the world
"It is not about supporting Pakistan, it is about the people of Kashmir. It is not about being Islamic or about being the leader of the Islamic world
"When I think something wrong has been done by anybody, even the big powers, I have always felt free to voice my opinion, that's all," Mahathir said to a suggestion that his comments backing Pakistan was an attempt to position himself as the leader of the Muslim world
Despite the support shown for Pakistan, it was brought up in the interview that it was Prime Minister Imran Khan who had, reportedly under pressure from Saudi Arabia, turned down an invitation to attend the Kuala Lumpur Summit gathering of Muslim leaders last November
It was also suggested that Mahathir, unlike his sentiments against India, appeared to be less critical over China's treatment of its minority Uyghur community
"Our relationship with India and China is not quite the same. With India, we feel that you are more liberal, more willing to accept criticism
"But with China, you know they don't. They have a different system and different viewpoints. There are ways of doing things. It’s not always through confrontation or even through open statements
"We will do things our way," Mahathir added, insisting there had been attempts to engage with China after a global outcry on alleged persecution of over one million Uyghurs in Xinjiang province
The former premier said thus far, engagement with China on the matter has not been so good
"But I think the Chinese are becoming more and more conscious of the need for them to be a little bit more liberal towards the Muslims in China."His remarks prompted WION's executive editor Palki Sharma as the programme's host to respond, "I don't know how you come to that assessment but I will not go into that," before she proceeded with the next question
Mahathir was a Bersatu founder and chairperson before his ouster following his disagreement with party president Muhyiddin Yassin over the Sheraton Move in late February
The Sheraton Move saw Bersatu exit the Harapan coalition, triggering its downfall, and led to Muhyiddin being sworn in as the country’s eighth prime minister
Despite being yet another Malay-Muslim based party, Mahathir's newest political platform has so far sparked a wave of grassroots defections from Bersatu. - Mkini

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