Adnan Seman, the lawyer for Muslim rights group Perkasa which intervened in the lawsuit, said he had argued that Dr Zakir should have been made a party to the case in order to answer the claims made against him.

“The government also submitted the same arguments that Zakir Naik should be made party to the proceedings. And because Zakir Naik is not made a party, this application should be rejected and dismissed,” he told reporters after a hearing in chambers before High Court judge Datin Azizah Nawawi.

Adnan said he had cited a Court of Appeal decision where all those affected by declaratory orders sought in court should be made party to a lawsuit.

“We also submitted the principle of law where the decision of the (home) minister or the Immigration director-general in awarding permanent residence should not be challenged in court except on any procedural defect. So we referred to various cases and sections in the Immigration Act itself,” he said.

Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who was present at court today, said the organisation had capped the numbers of its supporters that showed up at below 200 to avoid disrupting the court process.