Despite being barred from delivering public speeches in Malaysia, controversial preacher Zakir Naik allegedly addressed an audience at the Perlis International Sunnah Convention 2025, held from January 24 to 26. A video clip uploaded to the Dr Zakir Naik Answers YouTube channel on January 29 shows him encouraging Malaysian Muslims to intensify their efforts in spreading Islam to non-Muslims.
Naik, who is wanted in India on charges of money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speech, is believed to have spoken at an event in Kangar, where he participated in a question-and-answer session. His presence at a convention endorsed by the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIP) has raised concerns, as he has been prohibited from public speaking in Malaysia since 2019 due to past inflammatory remarks.
Prior to the event, Naik had shared a promotional poster indicating his participation. In the clip, he argued that Malaysian Muslims were not fully utilizing the legal provisions that allow them to propagate Islam to non-Muslims. He warned that they would be accountable in the afterlife for neglecting their duty to spread the faith.
“One good thing in Malaysia is that, by its constitution, in most parts of Malaysia, a non-Muslim cannot do dakwah (proselytise) to a Muslim. That’s very good. But a Muslim can do dakwah to a non-Muslim. Alhamdulillah,” Naik stated, urging Muslims to seize this opportunity.
Responding to a question about the challenges of spreading Islam in Malaysia, particularly among Chinese and Indian communities, he questioned why local Muslims were not taking a more active role. “I’m not a Malaysian… Allah will ask you, why didn’t you do it (dakwah)?” he said.
Malaysia’s Federal Constitution upholds freedom of religion while restricting the propagation of non-Islamic faiths to Muslims. Acknowledging some existing efforts in dakwah, Naik called for greater commitment, expressing hope that Malaysia’s Muslim population would grow.
In addition to his call for increased proselytization, Naik praised Malaysia as one of the best Muslim-majority nations, emphasizing that it is not dominated by non-Muslims and is geographically removed from global conflict zones. He also lauded Malaysian Muslims for their strong religious awareness, comparing them favorably to communities in India and Bangladesh.
Authorities have yet to confirm whether Naik’s speech constitutes a violation of the 2019 ban. Scoop has reached out to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain to determine whether action will be taken if he is found to have breached government restrictions.
Naik’s apparent defiance of the ban raises further questions, particularly in light of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s 2024 statement that Malaysia would consider India’s request for his extradition if credible evidence of extremism is presented.
Information Source: Scoop
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