Respected Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and Minister of External Affairs,

We, the concerned citizens of India, are writing to demand immediate transparency, concrete diplomatic steps, and a definitive timeline regarding the extradition of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from Malaysia.
For a decade, the public has been assured that bringing Zakir Naik to face justice is a priority for the government. He fled India in 2016, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) subsequently charged him with severe offences, including inciting communal disharmony, hate speech, and money laundering. In December 2017, the MEA confirmed in parliament that legal procedures were being finalised, leading to a formal extradition request sent to Malaysia in January 2018.

Despite these steps, progress has stalled, and the following contradictions continue to concern the public:

• Repeated High-Level Dialogues Without Outcome: The issue was raised directly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with then-Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad in September 2019 on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Russia. Yet, no definitive action followed. More recently, during Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim's visit to India in August 2024, and subsequent high-level meetings around the September 2026 BRICS Summit, the government reiterated that the issue remains on the priority list. In a press briefing on September 15, 2026, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "We continue to take up this issue at various levels with the Malaysian side." Despite these ongoing high-level talks, Zakir Naik remains protected as a Permanent Resident in Malaysia.

• Escalating Hostile Statements from Foreign Soil: Rather than remaining quiet, Naik has stepped up his inflammatory statements. In public broadcasts, he has openly urged oil-exporting Islamic nations to build databases and target or detain non-Muslim Indian nationals travelling abroad. Furthermore, following the recent diplomatic talks in September 2026, Naik openly dismissed India's sovereign efforts through his legal counsel, calling the media coverage a bid for "cheap publicity" and expressing no concern over the Indian government's actions.

• Unutilized Economic and Trade Leverage: India is a massive economic partner for Malaysia, engaging in multi-billion-dollar trade contracts, particularly in palm oil, technology, and semiconductors. It is deeply troubling that this immense bilateral leverage has failed to secure the deportation of a wanted fugitive.
A sovereign democracy remains accountable to its citizens regarding national security and the rule of law. If legal loopholes, Interpol's historic delays, or international diplomacy have rendered our efforts ineffective, the government must provide an honest disclosure to the public.