PAPAR, Aug 15 — The Sabah government will not hesitate to ban the well-known preacher Dr Zakir Naik from entering the state if there were reports of the preacher having extremist religious views.

However, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said that, at the moment, he had yet to receive any report from the state religious department in regard to the matter.

"If there are a report and clear evidence, we won’t hesitate to ban (Zakir).

"This is state government’s jurisdiction but such a report hasn’t come to my knowledge yet,” he said when met after receiving Parti Warisan membership forms from 3,000 former Umno members in Papar, in Kampung Biau here today.

On August 3, Zakir was reported to have made a controversial remark, claiming that Malaysian Hindus were more loyal to Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi than the Malaysian PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Zakir, an Indian national wanted by his government over investigations on alleged money laundering, was also reported making a statement against the Chinese communities in Malaysia as a response to the calls for his deportation from the country. — Bernama