Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam is not in the position to decide whether or not Islamic preacher Zakir Naik should get a permanent resident (PR) status in Malaysia, PAS information chief Nasrudin Hasan said today.

"I would like to advise MIC president Dr S Subramaniam not to simply release statements, especially on matters pertaining to Islam and Muslims in the country.

"Dr Zakir Naik is a scholar and preacher well known for his expertise in the field of comparative religion and is highly revered by Islamic scholars and Muslims the world over," Nasrudin said.

As a minister, he said, Subramaniam should be aware of, and understand the procedures used to award a PR status to a foreigner in this country.