Calls for action against Naik came after he claimed that Hindus in Malaysia are more loyal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi than Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Friday said the Permanent Resident (PR) status of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik can be revoked by the government if it is proven that his "actions have harmed the country’s well-being."
Calls for action against Naik came after he claimed that Hindus in Malaysia are more loyal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi than Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Naik, who was granted Malaysian PR status in 2015, has come under intense fire from several sections in the country.
According to reports in local media, Dr Mahathir said the government will first wait for the result of the police investigation into Naik’s alleged inflammatory remarks against minorities in the country.
“He has PR status. We can take that away that if he does something that is detrimental to the well-being of the nation,” he told reporters, Malay Mail reported.
“At this moment the police are investigating if he is doing that or not. If he is doing it, then it is necessary for us to take away his PR status," he said.
He added that the government will need to take action to prevent him from making such speeches which tend to pit races against each other.
The Malaysian Prime Minister said he does not believe that a public apology by the televangelist for his remarks would make any difference in assuaging the anger of people.
“I don’t know about demanding a public apology. I don’t think it will assuage the anger of many people," he said, adding that he leaves it to the police to investigate the seriousness of the statements.
After demands from several quarters including ministers, Malaysia's Federal police launched a probe against Naik "for intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace". Local media reported that the probe was launched after the police received 115 public complaints about his remarks.
Malaysian Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran on Wednesday called for action to be taken against Naik "for questioning the loyalty of Hindu Malaysians".
"Naik is an outsider who is a fugitive and has little knowledge of the Malaysian history, therefore, he should not be given such privilege to run down Malaysians, what more question their loyalty to the country," said Kulasegaran in a statement. "His actions do not reflect one deserving of permanent resident status and this will be brought up in the next cabinet meeting."
Agencies in India launched multiple probes against Naik after it was reported that terrorists involved with 2016 Dhaka attack were inspired by his speeches.
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