India, Oct. 8 -- As diplomatic gears turn ahead of the high-profile ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, the Malaysian High Commissioner to India, Dato' Muzafar Shah Mustafa, has spoken on India's long-pending extradition request for Zakir Naik, a controversial Islamic preacher wanted in India on serious charges, including money laundering and incitement to terrorism.

In a phone conversation withThe Pioneer on Tuesday, Ambassador Muzafar Shah said, "We are fully committed to cooperating, but as I mentioned earlier, this must proceed through the appropriate legal and judicial channels. Both countries have an extradition treaty in place."

His statement comes at a pivotal time, as speculation grows over whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is ex...