“Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), they are all against Ramasamy. Do not allow LTTE to threaten the country,” Muhd Asri Zainul Abidin, the Perlis mufti, wrote on his Facebook, referring to Sri Lankan militant group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Hundreds of protesters marched in George Town after Friday prayers today, carrying placards calling for Ramasamy’s resignation.
Asri and his followers have urged action against Ramasamy over his alleged links with LTTE, after pictures surfaced online showing the DAP leader paying respects to a symbol of a combat rifle.
They also accused Ramasamy of double standards in his call for controversial Indian Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik to be deported to India to face charges related to terrorism. Asri has publicly defended Naik.
Ramasamy has meanwhile denied he was a supporter of LTTE, which is labeled a terrorist organisation in many countries.
On Wednesday, Mujahid, the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, stepped into the fray, and offered to mediate a truce between the two men.
He said both have agreed to a closed-door meeting at his office in Putrajaya at the end of the month.
This afternoon, representatives from 40 groups gathered in Komtar to show support for Ramasamy.
“Everyone knows who is the terrorist that is wanted in countries like Bangladesh, India and Singapore. These countries have called on the preacher to be arrested,” said Malaysian Tamilar Kural president David Marshel, in an apparent reference to Naik.
“But, I have not heard any country asking for Ramasamy to be arrested,” he said.