After LTTE arrests, Penang DAP Youth want cops to act on Zakir Naik

Following an anti-terror crackdown on those with alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Penang DAP Youth have called on police to take action on controversial preacher Zakir Naik and his followers.

They claimed that several terrorist attacks, such as the 2016 Dhaka bombing and the Easter bombings of Sri Lankan churches earlier this year, had been carried out by individuals who were "influenced" by Zakir's teachings.

Following both attacks, the governments of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka each banned Zakir's Peace TV channel.

Penang DAP Youth also alleged that the money laundering charges the preacher faces in his homeland, India, were also linked to terrorism.

"There is enough evidence that Zakir is an element that spurs youths to extremism. It has been proven by the bombings in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

"Did the police not follow these developments or do they not want to follow it?

"We hope the police can act professionally without choosing sides and free Malaya from extremist elements such as Zakir who threaten peace in the country," they said in a statement today.

Yesterday, police detained seven individuals, including DAP's Gadek assemblyperson G Saminathan and Seremban Jaya assemblyperson P Gunasekara, over alleged links to LTTE.

They were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, said police had informed him that there would be no further arrests of party members.

Umno supreme council member Razlan Rafii described this as interfering in security matters and urged police not to bow to DAP's demands.

He urged the authorities to suspend DAP operations pending investigations and not allow national security to take a backseat to a government party.