Adding insult to injury? After saying that Malaysia does not extradite Zakir Naik, the Prime Minister of Malaysia poses with him

On Saturday, Malaysian news channels broadcast photos of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad with controversial preacher Zakir Naik.

Naik, wanted in money laundering and terrorism cases, met with the Malaysian Prime Minister on Saturday. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday ruled out the deportation of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik to India if he does not create problems in Malaysia, where he has permanent resident status.

In January, India officially asked Malaysia to deport Naik, wanted by India for allegedly inciting young people to commit terrorist acts as part of his hate speech. India also has an extradition treaty with Malaysia.

But Mahathir said Naik would not be fired.

"As long as he will not create any problems, we will not expel him because he has permanent resident status," he said at a press conference on reports of the imminent deportation of Naik.

Interior Minister Muhyiddin Ybadin had also previously said that Naik should respond to the Malaysian authorities if he broke any of the laws of the nation. Malaysian Police Inspector General Mohamed Fuzi Harun yesterday denied reports that Naik was to be deported, Malaysian media reported.

The media reported this week the deportation of Naik, 52, by the Malaysian government

. Following this information, Naik said in a statement that he would not return to India until he would feel "not immune from unfair prosecution".

It is the subject of terror and money laundering investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He had left India in July 2016.

The NIA had first registered a lawsuit against Naik under anti-terrorism laws in 2016 for allegedly promoting hostility between different religious groups. The NIA and the Mumbai police then had ten locations in Mumbai, including the residential premises of some of the members of the Naik-run foundation office.

The foundation was placed on a short list by the Ministry of the Interior to receive funds from abroad.

The publication of alleged hate speech that inspired a deadly terrorist attack on a popular café in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh in 2016.