YOURSAY | ‘Like Najib, Zakir too should face the law in India.’

Mahathir: Zakir Naik can stay if he behaves

Anonymous 2413471460628504: If there is a formal request from India to extradite preacher Zakir Naik, what is the Malaysian government waiting for?

Unless there is no extradition treaty with India, whether Zakir behaves himself or not in Malaysia is immaterial. We wouldn't want this kind of reason from another country in reply to our request for extradition.

It is not our government's job to decide if Zakir has committed a crime in India. It is for India to decide, and if we think India is incompetent to do so, then we should terminate any extradition treaty we have with them.

Otherwise, please comply with our international treaties and obligations.

Gotcha: Malaysia should not set a bad example by failing to deport Zakir back to India as he is wanted by Indian authorities.

Since the Indian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that a formal request has been made to Malaysia for the extradition of Zakir, it is best that we comply.

It is also pointless for Malaysia to allow a person who allegedly promotes terrorism and racial hate to remain in our peace-loving nation.

6th Generation Immigrant: Hang on, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, that does not sound right. India had requested we extradite Zakir, and we have a mutual agreement to facilitate that.

Malaysia is also seeking to extradite a number of others – 1MDB-linked Jho Low, former police officer and convicted murderer Sirul Azhar Umar, former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman, et cetera.

How would Mahathir feel if Macau, Australia and United Kingdom answered as you just did in a tit-for-tat diplomacy?

Leave religion out of your decision, Mahathir, your answer will not be anything else but a definite return of Zakir to India.

If he is found innocent in India, he can return to Malaysia with his permanent residency. If he is charged, jailed and fined, we should strip him of his permanent resident status. This is the international rule of law.

Dr Suresh Kumar: What Low, Umno Sungai Besar division chief Jamal Md Yunos and Sirul are to us is what Zakir is to India.

If you respect the good relations between India and Malaysia, then revoke his permanent resident status and extradite him. In fact, he is wanted more in Bangladesh, a Muslim country.

Why are you protecting a man who is not contributing anything positive, but rather creating deep fissures between the different races in Malaysia?

If you can charge Najib and others for money laundering, then Zakir too should face the law in India for money laundering offences.

The Fog of Life: Yes, we must honour the extradition protocol we have with India.

Does that protocol allow an executive order to reject the extradition application and, if so, is such power to reject it limited to specific circumstances?

Anonymous 399221447786384: Do we really want someone who says “A Muslim should not vote for non-Muslim even if he has done good work like building buildings (infrastructure)"?

His own country has prepared charges against him of promoting enmity and hatred between different religious groups.

I get that the Pakatan Harapan government is concerned about his popularity with some Muslims in Malaysia, but we need to follow the rule of law.

Observer123: If the Indian government requested Zakir to return to his home country and face the rule of law, Malaysia should oblige as he is an Indian citizen.

The granting of Malaysian permanent residency to Zakir is dubious at best. So, let's do the right thing and send him back to India.

Yours and My Malaysia: Mahathir, how can you or the police ask Jho Low to be extradited when he is "behaving" in another country?

He might even be a good boy by helping the foreign economy with his kind of spending.

This is beginning to sound like selective rule of law.

SV: Mahathir indicated that the rule of law would be upheld when he took over the government.

Firstly, if there is an extradition agreement between India and Malaysia, would and should Malaysia honour it, as we would like other countries to also honour such arrangements?

Secondly, what is the definition of “behave”? Don’t hate and seditious speeches also contravene the rule of law?

I sincerely hope Malaysia continues to develop itself in the areas of fair evaluation and implementation of a rule-based society.

Appum: Mahathir, what do you mean by “behave”? India has also formally asked for this Indian fugitive.

How would you feel if you asked for the extradition of your own fugitive from another friendly country and that country responds the way you are doing now? Nip things in the bud.

Hoperenewed: Indeed, Mahathir, what do you mean by "if he behaves"? Does that mean he can still go around delivering hateful lectures?

Malaysia Baru does not need people like Zakir in our effort to rebuild this nation.

Anonymous 428911434555133: I hope the authorities in Hong Kong and Macau do not say the same thing - that Jho Low “can stay if he doesn't misbehave”.

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