Its president RS Mohan Shan said this in a statement, in which he also expressed his disappointment and displeasure at the government’s move to allow controversial speaker Dr Zakir Nair’s forum to go on in Malacca, despite the Inspector-General of Police’s earlier stance against the event.

“The Deputy Prime Minister said that the Government had given the green light for Zakir Naik to talk at UTeM in Malacca.

How did the government decide on this, when their own component party, the MIC – which is part of the government – had opposed vehemently together with MHS and the various Hindu NGOs, Zakir’s public talks?”

Mohan said the Deputy Prime Minister (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) should have consulted MHS prior to allowing the event to go ahead, rather than reach a compromise with the organiser, whose concern was only monetary in nature, compared to more important matters such as national unity and harmony.

“Zakir Naik is well known for his manipulative provocations with his shallow knowledge of other religions, and his attempt to convert Hindus and non-Muslims during these public talks,” he said.

Mohan reiterated that Hindus were not against scholars who promoted their respective religions, but only against those who discriminated against and undermined other religions during their talks.