BUTTERWORTH: Molotov cocktails were thrown at the service centre of Perai assemblyman Dr P. Ramasamy in Taman Chai Leng here.

No one was injured in the firebombing nor was there any significant damage but it comes after April 10 Facebook posting by Dr Ramasamy that labelled controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik as a “satan”.

During the incident, an unidentified man had hurled two Molotov cocktails at the metal shutter doors of the building. Video footage showed the Molotov cocktails bursting into flames on impact and the man fleeing during the incident at about 3.17am yesterday.

Ramasamy, who is also Penang Hindu Endowment Board chairman, claimed that Dr Zakir had been giving hate speeches on faiths other than Islam. He removed the post from his page shortly after but it had gone viral prompting Malay NGOs such as Perkasa to lodge police reports against him.

“I realised the word was inappropriate and I removed it from my Facebook page but it was too late, the posting quickly went viral,” he said.

Dr Ramasamy said the posting was not meant to be against Islam or Muslims but directed at “this particular person.”

Central Seberang Prai OCPD Asst Comm Rusli Mohd Noor said police were investigating the incident under Section 435 of the Penal Code for committing mischief by fire.

The Penang Government has given Fariq Zakir Naik, the son of Dr Zakir, the go ahead for his public talk this Friday. Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon said the decision was made after a state exco meeting.

“The programme is allowed to proceed as scheduled with two conditions – it does not touch and degrade other religions, and police are kept informed,” he said.-thestar