Kuala Lumpur: Zakir Naik, the controversial preacher has been barred from holding religious talks in the state, says Chief Minister Adly Zahari.
When contacted on Sunday, Adly said the state government avoids any issues that could strain race relationships. “We want to maintain this. So we decided not to allow Zakir to hold talks or gatherings here, ” he said Sunday.
Seven states- Melaka, Johor, Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Perlis and Sarawik- have decided to prohibit Naik from speaking in public.
Johor Religious Islamic Department (JAIJ) director Datuk Md Rofiki A. Shamsudin said it had never given Zakir any approval to conduct religious talks in the state.
“Any religious preacher must get the necessary approval from JAIJ before they are allowed to conduct religious talks. This is to ensure these preachers do not say anything against our creed or aqidah, ” he said.
