Neither the plaintiffs nor the defendants had objections to Perkasa’s application to intervene.
The 19 had filed a suit against the government for allegedly harbouring Naik, claiming that the preacher, who is a citizen of India, was capable of threatening national security and harmony. “He has encouraged terrorism in public,” they said in their lawsuit.
The group is seeking a court order that Naik be considered a threat to Malaysia, and with that, an order to stop him from coming into the country or remaining here, if he was already in the country. They also want the police to arrest him.
The lawsuit named Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the director-general of the Immigration Department, the director-general of the National Registration Department, inspector-general of police and the Malaysian government.
Among the 19 are Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy, Bingkor assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan, lawyer Siti Kassim and Centre for Policy Initiatives director Lim Teck Ghee.
The suit had been fixed for case management today for the plaintiffs and the defendants to say if they had any objection to Perkasa’s application to intervene.
Malaysiakini quoted Perkasa’s lawyer Adnan Seman as saying that Perkasa, being an NGO which was “obliged to protect Islam as the religion of the federation,” had the locus standi to intervene.
Meanwhile, Hindraf’s lawyer Kartigesan Shanmugam said judge Kamaludin Md Said gave instructions to the intervener to confine their reply to matters raised in the affidavits as it only concerned issues of national security and Naik’s permanent resident (PR) status.
The government only recently revealed, after pressure from Hindraf and others, that Naik had in fact been given PR five years ago.
Kamaludin fixed July 20 for the next case management.
Naik is wanted by India’s investigations authorities for questioning regarding money laundering and terror-related activities. He fled India and has not returned since.
He is reported to have been banned from the United Kingdom and Canada, following his apparent support of terror groups. Last July, the government of Bangladesh banned Peace TV, a channel run by Naik, following allegations that it incited terrorism.