Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy is looking forward to squaring up with controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik, saying he hopes the latter is around when the defamation case comes up in court.
"Hope he is around when the case comes up. I will face the fugitive and preacher Zakir Naik in the court," he wrote in a Facebook post today.
Taking note that Zakir had apologised for causing hurt with his statements, Ramasamy said that no such apology would be coming from him.
"He has apologised for his misdeeds, but it is a bit too late. I will never apologise to him because in so far as Zakir is concerned, the word 'apology' is not in my vocabulary," said Ramasamy.
Ramasamy, along with Klang MP Charles Santiago, Bagan Dalam assemblyperson Satees Muniandy and former ambassador Dennis J Ignatius, was given a letter of demand seeking an apology and reasonable sum in settlement within 48 hours or risk being sued for defamation.
The notices of demand from legal firm Akberdin & Co were dated Aug 19.
Last week, a similar demand was sent to Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran, who also said he was prepared to face the Indian-born preacher in court.
Zakir, Ramasamy said, is the last person in the world who would be asking others to apologise for the havoc he has created in India and Malaysia.
He went to claim that it took the government a while to know Zakir's "true colours."
Claiming that Zakir has sown disharmony and discord in the country between Muslims and non-Muslims, Ramasamy said: "Even the racist elements in the country have never questioned the loyalty of Chinese and Indians who have been here for generations.
"No government worthy of its name would allow a foreign fugitive to take the welcome for granted."
He called for the preacher's deportation to India or any country willing to grant him asylum.
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