Malay right wing group Perkasa has blasted an interfaith group for suggesting controversial preacher Zakir Naik had inspired followers to carry out terrorist attacks, insisting the Mumbai based speaker is "moderate".

Perkasa Islamic affairs bureau chairperson Amini Amir Abdullah lashed out at Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), whose deputy president RS Mohan Shan was reported as saying yesterday that Zakir had advocated terrorism to youths.

"Perkasa urges MCCBCHST to retract their insolent statement.

"If not, we will consider them to have hidden malicious intent, like 'udang di sebalik batu' (having an ulterior motive)," Amini said in a statement today.

"We issue a strong warning to MCCBCHST not to be quick to make allegations that are baseless, and conclusions that have no solid proof," he said.

Amini defended Zakir, who had riled non-Muslims during his recent tour in Malaysia, saying he should be given the benefit of the doubt.

“Be careful when making statements that touch on the sensitivities of Muslims. Don’t follow the call and baseless news of the West,” he said.

Yesterday Zakir denied that his speeches promote terrorism, and welcomed investigations against him.

Meanwhile, CNN-News18 also reported yesterday that a link has been found between Zakir's Mumbai-based organisation and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a front for terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Zakir's organisation, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), is the only South Asian organisation listed on JuD's website, CNN-News18 reported.

JuD behind Mumbai terror attacks

This shows there is a link between the preacher and Hafiz Saeed, who runs the JuD and is said to be the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks of 2008, said the article.

The link between the two organisations was revealed after CNN-News18 accessed JuD's website through a virtual private network (VPN), as the site had been banned in India since the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

It also reported that two of those accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts had told investigating agencies that they were inspired by Zakir.

"Sources said one of them, Feroz Ghaswala, was recruited at Zakir's sermon in Srinagar in 2003 by Rahil Sheikh, the alleged mastermind of the blasts.

"Sheikh had spent much of his time at Zakir's office in Mumbai," CNN-News18 said.

Another suspect in the attack, they added, had allegedly worked as a librarian at the IRF.

The channel also reported that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier directed the Mumbai police to investigate Zakir's speeches and sources of funding.

"Zakir Naik's public documents, videos and social media posts are being examined," a Mumbai police officer said.

This investigation was ordered two days after the Bangladesh government said that two of the terrorists involved in last week's Dhaka attack were purportedly influenced by Zakir.

Last Saturday, a group of Islamic gunmen shouting "Allahu Akbar", attacked an upscale cafe in the Bangladeshi capital, killing 20 people inside, before police stormed the building and rescued 13 hostages.

It was reported that six of the gunmen were killed during the police operation and one had been captured.