GEORGE TOWN, July 25 — Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy has agreed to meet Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa and Perlis mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin over his comments on preacher Dr Zakir Naik and claims of his link to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The Penang state exco said Mujahid had contacted him yesterday to arrange the meeting.
“I have agreed to meet with Mujahid and Mohd Asri and it will be a closed-door session,” he said when contacted today.
He said the meeting will be a good way for everyone to clarify the issues, particularly about Dr Zakir and LTTE, which were played up in the media in recent weeks.
“I would like to commend Mujahid for taking proactive steps to arrange this meeting, which is what Pakatan Harapan is about. We are always open to discussions to clear up any issues,” he said.
He said the meeting will give him the opportunity to explain LTTE and what he said about Dr Zakir.
“I hope this meeting will clear up any allegations and stop all these false allegations against me,” he said.
He expected the meeting to take place in Putrajaya soon but is now waiting for the date and time from Mujahid.
Ramasamy has been in the limelight in recent weeks when Mohd Asri, in his Facebook status, demanded that the police investigate him for his alleged links to the LTTE.
A total 53 police reports were lodged by various groups nationwide over the allegations.
Muslim non-governmental organisations (NGO) also held a protest after Friday prayers last week, asking the police to take action against Ramasamy.
More groups are planning another protest this Friday to call for Ramasamy’s resignation.
In the last two weeks, Ramasamy had repeatedly explained that he was involved in several international conflict peace negotiations when he was a professor between 1981 and 2005.
Today, he again issued another statement explaining that he was involved in peace negotiations in Colombia, Sri Lanka, Aceh and Mindanao.
“In Sri Lanka, I was invited as a constitutional affairs committee that was made up of university representatives, international organisations and LTTE members to restore the peace negotiation process that was mediated by Norway in 2003,” he said.
He said the peace efforts failed and the war continued until LTTE was destroyed in May 2009.
He pointed out that he was also involved in peace negotiations between Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) and the Indonesian government in 2015 which led to the signing of the Helsinki agreement.
“Last year, I was invited by Wali Nanggroe Aceh Malik Mahmud to attend the anniversary of the Helsinki Agreement which is a significant historical date for Aceh,” he said.
Ramasamy said he was also appointed as peace negotiator to supervise peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) in Colombia, South America.
He was also involved in peace negotiations in Mindanao, Philippines and supported the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).
“In my opinion, all these organisations are not terrorists but freedom fighters for oppressed people and each of their causes was aimed at ending oppression in the respective countries,” he said.
Although all of the organisations were labelled as terrorists by certain countries, Ramasamy said it is up to each individual to understand their causes, which was to demand for basic human rights.
“I wish to stress that I hold strong to my principles of peace and I will never support war, as war will only lead to destruction,” he said.
