KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik told the High Court on Monday that there were threats against him and his family which resulted in him having to get private security after Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P Ramasamy published allegedly defamatory articles about him.

Zakir, who was testifying at the start of his defamation suit against Ramasamy before Judge Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz, said because of Ramasamy’s articles about him between 2016 and 2019, he had had to spend more than RM10,000 each month on private security.

“Because of that, I have to keep security guards 24 hours a day and seven days a week with me. The police advised me to do so. For this, I have to spend more than RM10,000 a month because a frivolous person with political motives made these accusations against me,” he told the court.

Zakir is suing Ramasamy for four alleged defamatory statements that were issued on April 10, 2016; Oct 1, 2017; Aug 11, 2019; and Aug 20, 2019.

He said Ramasamy’s statements have also damaged his mission of peace as an Islamic preacher and had sown distrust among his many non-Muslim followers, adding that Ramasamy had taken his words out of context and shared them.

“Non-Muslims come and sit for my lectures. Now, someone took my speech out of context. It is absolutely disgusting. He wrote the articles instigating people to make insults against me,” he said.

“It’s causing a damage to me, because these non-Muslims who loved and respected me are thinking otherwise… If I don’t clarify (this in court) people will start thinking I’m a hate monger,” he said.

Ramasamy allegedly made the first defamatory statement via a Facebook posting on April 10, 2016. The second was in the form of an article titled “Is Malaysia harbouring alleged fugitive Zakir Naik?” which was published by online news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT) on Oct 1, 2017.

The third allegedly defamatory statement was made on Aug 11, 2019 through the article “Naik should not question loyalty of Hindus in Malaysia”, which was also carried by FMT. Ramasamy was also alleged to have defamed Zakir through a video interview later on Aug 20, which the defendant gave to India-based media platform India Today.

In the 2016 Facebook posting, Ramasamy allegedly called Zakir ‘satan’. Shortly after that Ramasamy expressed regret for having called him that.

"I regret if the use of the word 'satan' had caused uneasiness and unhappiness among Muslims in Malaysia. My posting was not against Islam or Muslims in this country. It was just against this particular person," Ramasamy said in 2016.

Zakir told the court that he did not accept Ramasamy’s apology because it was “half-hearted and insincere”.

“I didn’t accept the apology because he did not convey the apology to me in person or my legal representative. At all times I decline his half-hearted and insincere apologies,” he said.

"He only apologised for the satan remark and not the other defamatory statements that were made,” Zakir added.

The trial continues on Tuesday with Zakir on the stand to finish his witness testimony.