KUALA LUMPUR: A disciple of controversial Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has been arrested for allegedly mocking and belittling Hinduism during a religious sermon in Kelantan.
Muslim convert Zamri Vinoth (pix), 35, was picked up by a task force from the Perlis Criminal Investigations Department at 2am early this mornning and taken to the Kangar police headquarters.
Perlis police chief SAC Datuk Noor Mushar Mohamad said the suspect would be handed over to the federal police in Bukit Aman today for further investigations.
He said that a video of the suspect delivering a religious talk at the As Siddiqin mosque in Kampung Panchor, Kelantan on Dec 30 last year showed that he had made two comments considered to be insulting towards Hinduism.
The preacher was being investigated for allegedly causing disunity and disharmony among the various races and religions under Section 298A of the Penal Code.
Noor Mushar said the suspect was also being investigated for misusing the Internet under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
A video of the police arresting him also made the rounds on social media.
The suspect, who renounced Hinduism to embrace Islam, was said to have provoked anger among Hindus after the video of his sermon went viral on social media over the past few days.
Police have received 82 reports lodged by individuals and groups across the nation who want action taken against him.
One of the reports was lodged by a Commercial Crimes Investigations Department personnel last Friday after she spotted the video clip on YouTube.
Several people, including Muslims, have also recorded videos condemning the suspect’s actions and some even issued death threats against him.
Police records show that he has been arrested on several occasions since 2010 for alleged offences, including rape, assault and criminal breach of trust.
There are more than two dozen videos of the suspect preaching, giving interviews and making comments about Islam on YouTube.
In a video posted last year the suspect, flanked by two burly men, demanded to meet Minister of National Unity and Social Wellbeing P. Waythamoorthy for a debate over matters related to Islam and Hinduism.
The man is closely associated with 54-year-old fugitive Zakir Naik who is being sought by the Indian government.
Zakir has been residing in Malaysia under permanent residency status and appears to be rubbing shoulders with Malaysian officials, including current and former ministers and deputy ministers.
Malaysians incensed by the controversial preacher’s sermons have called for his deportation to India but it has fallen on deaf ears.
An online petition initiated last year calling for his deportation has garnered 7,755 signatures to date.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued by Bukit Aman tonight, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador said the preacher has been remanded for four days to assist in investigations.
He said police are also tracking down the Youtube.com account holder of Info Sunnah Kelantan to assist in the probe.
Abdul Hamid said the account holder had uploaded the video of the preacher’s sermon in its channel on the video-sharing website.
He also advised the public to refrain from abusing the social media and other communication channels by posting or sharing provocative content that may cause racial tension among the multi-religious and multi-race masses in the country.
Abdul Hamid also said that police nationwide have received 790 police reports on the case.
