KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — Former Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff, who was previously accused of stoking religious tensions, has confirmed his appointment as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s special officer.

The controversial political analyst who had also been sued repeatedly by DAP lawmakers for defamation told Malaysiakini last night that he has been in the role since last December.

"I purposely did not publicise it, I prefer to work in obscurity. I am not someone who chases publicity and prefers to keep a low profile while working behind the scenes," he was quoted saying by the news portal.

Kamarul Zaman said his job scope includes helping the PM with daily matters and research, excluding politics or policy matters, "nothing that requires me to stand out".

He also told the news portal that he was tasked to be the director of a symposium to promote Bahasa Malaysia internationally.

Ismail Sabri has been seeking to promote Malaysia's national language abroad and has also suggested it could be used as the lingua franca for South-east Asia.

Kamarul Zaman made the news earlier this year when Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh sued him for defamation over his 2017 Facebook post in which he claimed she was proselytising Christianity through her politics.

He had also lodged a police report against Yeoh’s biography, Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey, calling it a "Christian agenda”.

Last year, Kamarul Zaman reportedly accused Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim of "Christianisation” and warned other Malay-Muslims against accepting aid from "Christian evangelists” following Sim’s aid to a Malay youth.

Kamarul Zaman also wrote an article titled Beza antara bantuan Melayu Islam dan bantuan Cina Kristian that Christian Chinese only post about their good deeds towards Malay-Muslims for publicity, and compared Sim’s actions with those of PAS lawmaker Datuk Awang Hashim as both of them bought a motorcycle for a separate delivery rider.