Former Penang deputy chief minister II, Dr P. Ramasamy, has sent a letter of demand to controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik, accusing him of referring to Ramasamy as "the biggest enemy of Islam.
The alleged remark was made by Zakir during a lecture in Sokoto, Nigeria. An 8-minute-13-second excerpt of the lecture was uploaded on Zakir's Facebook page with the title "Dr Zakir Naik Donates US$ 320,000 towards Palestine Cause." Since its upload on November 4, the video excerpt has gained substantial attention, with over 171,000 views, shared by over 7,000 users worldwide, and attracting about 30,000 reactions and 2,000 comments.
The video was strategically tagged with hashtags like #palestine, #donation, and #zakirnaik to maximize its reach. Prior to this incident, on November 2, Ramasamy was ordered by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur to pay RM1.42 million for defaming Zakir four years ago. In response, Ramasamy's lawyer, Dr Shamsher Singh Thind, stated that his client has lodged a police report regarding Zakir's recent alleged remark. Dr.
Shamsher Singh Thind explained that the allegations made by Zakir against Ramasamy are unjustifiably serious and amount to defamation. He emphasized that there was no need for Zakir to make any remarks about Ramasamy during the lecture, especially when Ramasamy was not present to defend himself. Based on Ramasamy's demands, he expects Zakir to:
- Retract the alleged allegation completely. - Delete the mentioned or similar excerpt from all social media accounts. - Issue an unconditional written apology for making the said allegation. - Publish the apology on Zakir's verified Facebook page for 30 days with the privacy setting set to "public." - Publish the apology at Zakir's own expense in several Malaysian newspapers, including Sinar Harian, Berita Harian, The Star, New Straits Times, Sin Chew Daily, and Makkal Osai. - Provide an undertaking to never repeat the same or similar allegation in the future. - Agree on compensation, with the amount to be determined through negotiation.
Dr. Shamsher Singh Thind stated that if Zakir fails to meet any of these demands within 14 days, he will initiate legal action for defamation against Zakir in Kuala Lumpur's High Court, without any further notice. In the meantime, crowdfunding efforts in solidarity with Ramasamy have surpassed RM900,000. Ramasamy expressed his deepest appreciation and thanks for the support, stating his confidence in public support through a Facebook post.
Dr. Ramasamy has taken legal action against Dr. Zakir Naik for allegedly defaming him. He demands a complete retraction, an apology, and compensation from Zakir. The video excerpt that sparked the controversy has gained significant attention, while crowdfunding in support of Ramasamy has reached an impressive amount. Let's see how this legal dispute unfolds!
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