Uproar on social media over a university examination question which appears to praise controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik

Varsity exam question calls Zakir Naik ‘an icon’
FMT Reporters
-December 29, 2019 9:04 PMA screenshot of the examination question was posted by MIC vice-president Sivarrajh Chandran

PETALING JAYA: An uproar has broken out on social media over a university examination question which appears to praise controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik by calling him an “icon in the Islamic world”.

The question appears in a Universiti Malaysia Perlis examination paper on Ethnic Relations.

A screenshot of the question was posted on Facebook by MIC vice-chief Sivarrajh Chandran.

The question reads: “Zakir Naik is one of the icons of the Islamic world. He is very active in spreading true Islam and following the Quran and Sunnah of Rasulullah SAW. He is able to reason and to answer every question that is asked to him. However, in Malaysia, he is no longer allowed to deliver his preaching. In your opinion, as a Malaysian, why does this happen?”
Students are given a multiple-choice answer with these reasons:

1) Malaysians do not bother to receive information

2) Malaysians were sensitive and feel threatened for no reason

3) Malaysians just follow the crowd without verifying any information

4) Malaysians are ignorant about their own religion.

Sivarrajh had questioned why such a question, deemed to be insensitive to people of different races, had been included in an examination for a module that was meant to foster racial and religious understanding.



FMT has contacted the university for a response.