A controversial Indian Islamic preacher apologised Tuesday for making comments about race in multi-ethnic Malaysia which sparked calls for his expulsion, a day after being questioned by police.
Zakir Naik, a radical television preacher who has called the 9/11 attacks an "inside job", left India in 2016 and moved to largely Muslim Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency.
He is wanted in India for inciting extremism and money laundering, and New Delhi last year reportedly asked Malaysia to extradite him -- a request that was rejected.
Calls have escalated for Naik to be kicked out after he said Hindus in Malaysia have "100 times" more rights than India's Muslim minority, and suggested Chinese Malaysians should be expelled before he was.
He was questioned by police for 10 hours Monday on suspicion of committing an intentional insult aimed at provoking a breach of the peace.
On Tuesday, Naik said in a statement his detractors had taken his remarks out of context and added "strange fabrications". But he went on: "It was never my intention to upset any individual or community.
"It is against the basic tenets of Islam, and I would like to convey my heartfelt apologies for this misunderstanding."
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