Zakir now demands an apology from four for defamation

KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik has given Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy and three others a 48-hour notice to apologise and pay a reasonable settlement sum to avoid being sued for defamation.

Zakir’s demand letters were served by the legal firm Akberdin & Co yesterday to the four including Bagan Dalam assemblyman Satees Muniandy, former ambassador Datuk Dennis Ignatius and Klang MP Charles Santiago.

Santiago and Ignatius confirmed they had received the notices on Monday afternoon.

“I stand by my statement and will not tender any apologies to Zakir Naik.

“I welcome this action to enable me to justify and prove to the court that his speech in Kelantan was highly toxic, inflammatory and could cause religious and racial unrest in our multicultural society,” Santiago said.

On Friday, Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran also received a similar demand from Zakir.

Zakir claimed the five had quoted him out of context on his reply to one of the questions posed to him after his speech on the topic “Misconceptions of Islam” in Kelantan on Aug 8.