Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) has urged DAP, which was described as a "racist and chauvinistic" party, to send its deputy secretary-general P Ramasamy back to school.

The movement's president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman was responding to the Penang deputy chief minister admonishing controversial Muslim preacher Dr Zakir Naik as "satan".

"I suggest DAP sends Ramasamy back to school so that he can learn some manners.

"He also needs to be given a course in order for him to understand DAP's liberal and open ideology,"Abdullah was quoted as saying by the movement’s portal Ismaweb .

Yesterday, the DAP leader expressed regret for using the term while his service centre was hit by a Molotov Cocktail amid the row over his remarks.

In a related development, Zakir thanked groups such as Hindraf for providing him with free publicity.

This is after Hindraf, MIC as well as Indian-based NGOs protested against his lecture series in Malaysia, specifically one which was titled 'Similarities between Islam and Hinduism' to be held in Malacca on April 17.

"I'm thankful to them for giving me free publicity. Now more people are coming to hear my lectures," the preacher was quoted as saying by Ismaweb during a lecture in Terengganu.

Initially, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar ordered that the lecture in Malacca be cancelled.

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the event would proceed but the topic would be changed to ‘Women’s rights in Islam'.

Meanwhile, Zakir said he was not perturbed about the topic being changed.

"As a versatile speaker, I have to be ready for any changes including last minute changes to the lecture topic.

"And with what has happened, I believe the number of participants that will come to my public lecture in Malacca will increase.

"I believe the people of Malacca can't wait for my arrival," he added.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Zakir also thanked the government for allowing his lecture in Malacca to continue.

The preacher, who hails from India, would also be delivering a lecture in Kuala Lumpur on April 16 titled ‘Is Quran the word of God?’