The Malaysian Insight

THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) rejected the application by a local Muslim group to hold an open ceramah by Dr Zakir Naik at the city stadium in June this year because the football season is on and routine maintenance had been scheduled.

The Islamic Propagation Society International (IPSI) had applied to use the stadium on June 14 for the Dr Zakir event.
IPSI was planning to hold the Friday night public ceramah from 8pm to 11pm for an audience of 10,000 to 15,000 people.

MBPP’s corporate communications and public relations division said the council received the application from IPSI on January 10 but had to reject it as other bookings have been made.

“The city stadium has received bookings from the Penang Football Association for the 2019 premier league season from February to July. 

“There are also bookings from schools, associations and sports clubs for other sporting events,” the council said in a statement.

It said MBPP also has to routinely maintain the field and stadium to ensure the venue was in good shape.

“Maintenance work has been scheduled before IPSI sent its application. Because of that, MBPP is unable to consider the application,” the council added.

The council’s rejection letter to IPSI has been circulated on social media. 

Earlier, deputy chief minister I Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman, who is also religious affairs exco, said Dr Zakir had no credentials to give talks or teach Islam in Penang.

He said so far, Jaipp had not received any application for the Indian-born preacher to give a talk in Penang.

The state requires all preachers to apply to the Penang Islamic Affairs Department (Jaipp) for permission before they can give talks or teach religion.

Among the conditions to obtain Jaipp’s permission are not spreading understanding or thinking that are against the Sunnah Wal Jamaah beliefs, and not offending any races, religions, culture and cultural practices of local residents that can lead to racial and religious tension.

IPSI has postponed the Dr Zakir programme indefinitely.
Dr Zakir is a very popular but also controversial Muslim preacher from India. He is wanted by his home country for allegedly inciting communal disharmony, and other unlawful activities.

Indian authorities have long revoked his passport in efforts to get him back.

Dr Zakir became a subject of investigations in India and Bangladesh after two suspects in a terror attack that left 22 dead in Dhaka in July 2016, claimed that they were inspired by his “radical preaching”. 
His non-governmental organisation, the Islamic Research Foundation, was also probed for alleged money laundering.

But he had always maintained his innocence, denying claims that he had ever promoted terror.

In July last year, Zakir accused the media of using doctored video clips, quotes that were taken out of context and other “dishonest schemes” to accuse him of terrorism, hate speech and money laundering.

He has been staying in Malaysia, which granted him permanent residency, since 2012. – February 22, 2019.