The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, the King and Head of State of Malaysia, conferred Dr Zakir Naik the prestigious ‘Tokoh Ma’al Hijrah Distinguished International Personality Award for the Year 2013’ for his service to Islam in particular and humanity at large at a special ceremony at Putrajaya International Convention Centre, Malaysia on 5 November 2013. Also present on the occasion was Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansur.
Along with Dr Naik, former minister in Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin was named national-level Tokoh Ma’al Hijrah for the year 2013.
Dr Naik, 48, is a graduate in medicine and surgery from University of Bombay. He was recently awarded the Islamic Personality of the Year award for 2013 by the United Arab Emirate (UAE).
Dr Naik is the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), a non-profit organisation that owns the Peace TV channel.