Liberal Indonesian Islamic scholar Ulil Abshar Abdalla, who is slated to speak at a roundtable organised by the Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 15, has been barred from entering the country.

The Home Ministry issued the ban order yesterday. There has been wide criticism of Ulil Abshar coming to speak in Malaysia from Umno and a number of Islamic groups, including Jakim and Isma.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was quoted by New Straits Times Online tonight as saying that the scholar from Jaringan Islam Liberal would mislead Muslims in the country if he is allowed to spread his brand of liberalism here.

"He was invited by local NGOs to speak about liberalism but at the same time we received various reports of those who are agaist his idea of liberalism," NST Online quoted Zahid ( left ) as saying after he officiated a Security and Public Order seminar in Kuching.

Zahid ( left ) also urged the Immigration Department and police to be extra vigilant with the release of 350 Jemaah Islamiah members after completing their sentence in Indonesia next year.

"We do not want anyone of them to start a radical movement in our country. What they are doing is clearly un-Islamic and against the true teachings," Zahid said.

JI leader Abu Bakar Bashir has pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) and its cause in South-East Asia.

"I want both the police and Immigration Department to work closely with their counterparts in Indonesia. We see their presence here as a threat to our sovereignty," Zahid added.

Earlier, Zahid also launched a book by his deputy, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, titled 'A Policeman', which tells about Wan Junaidi’s days as a police officer.