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Malaysian minister urges Muslim preacher to 'keep his mouth shut'

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JOHOR BARU: Muslim preacher Zamihan Mat Zin has been told to keep his "mouth shut" and resign from the civil service if he is unhappy with the Malaysian government.

Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the ministry was disappointed with Mr Zamihan for saying something that challenged religion and the royal institution time and time again.

He said that after expressing views that hurt various parties, Mr Zamihan had taken things further by criticising Prime Minister Najib Razak in a new viral video clip.

"My advice to him is to keep his mouth shut and think before speaking and refrain from sensationalising matters. Otherwise, we will have to re-evaluate his role," Mr Nur Jazlan said yesterday.

Mr Nur Jazlan said that Mr Zamihan should hold his tongue after getting the backing from Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who recently said the government still needed the preacher's expertise to help rehabilitate Islamic State in Iraq and Syria detainees at the Tapah Prison in Perak.

In a two-minute video that surfaced on YouTube on Oct 23, Mr Zamihan was seen criticising Mr Najib for proposing to allot a 16ha piece of land in Putrajaya for Saudi Arabia's King Salman Centre for International Peace to counter terrorism.

Mr Zamihan has called the move "unrealistic" and "unintelligent".

Mr Zamihan is being investigated by the Malaysian authorities for sedition after he criticised the Sultan of Johor for barring a Muslims-only laundrette from operating in the state. - THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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