No Extradition Commitment: Malaysia Reaffirms Stance on Dr. Zakir Naik

Malaysia has clarified that it has made no commitment to extradite Islamic speaker Dr. Zakir Naik to Indian authorities, nor has the government moved away from its firm decision not to send him back.

Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stated that the decision is strictly based on the Extradition Act 1992 and Article 6 of the extradition treaty signed between Malaysia and India in 2010. He also confirmed that Kuala Lumpur has not received any fresh extradition requests from New Delhi regarding Dr. Naik recently.

In a written reply to the parliament, Saifuddin noted that the Indian government initially submitted an official extradition request on January 19, 2018, followed by a diplomatic note on May 29, 2020, asking to reconsider the matter. However, the minister emphasized that the government maintains its position of not sending him to India.

Dr. Zakir Naik currently resides in Malaysia, and his status remains a significant point of discussion in bilateral relations between the two nations, which was previously touched upon during high-level meetings between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.