KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 — The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) has lodged a formal complaint with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) over a viral social media post allegedly insulting Islam.

The post, linked to a user identified as “Lyan Liu”, contained elements of hate speech, incitement and religious provocation, Jakim said in a statement dated April 18.

“The statement posted by the individual contains extreme defamation against religion and race, which is clearly in contradiction with the principles of harmony between races and religions that have long been preserved in the country,” it said.

It also reminded the public that freedom of speech must not be abused to inflame religious or ethnic sentiments.

Jakim called on Malaysians to avoid reacting emotionally and instead allow the legal process to take its course.