Taking to Facebook, Kamalanathan expressed his disappointment with the incident and urged UTM to investigate who was behind the slides.

“I can’t help but feel only someone who wilfully and purposefully filled with ill intent would produce such a document.

“If that is the case then I urge the university authorities to investigate and take stern action against them,” he said.

Kamalanathan also urged for all future academic content used for Islamic and Asian Civilisation Studies (Titas) at public universities be verified by experts in religion first before inclusion into the syllabus to avoid the repeat of such “painful experiences.”

Kamalanathan was referring to teaching slides by UTM that among others claimed it was Islam that introduced the meaning of politeness and personal hygiene to Hindus in India. The slides also said some Hindus preferred to be in a dirty state as they perceived it to be a way to attaining “Nirvana.”

Another slide claimed “Sikhism founder Kabir” did not fully understand Islam and was influenced by the surrounding Hindu community.

The presentation slides were widely condemned after they went viral. UTM vice-chancellor, Prof Wahid Omar, had since reportedly said that university authorities would fix the “mistake.”

“As a former Deputy Higher Education Minister, I am aware this incident is not at all representative of the values imbibed and demonstrated by the Ministry nor Universities’ leadership,” Kamalanathan posted.

Meanwhile, a police report has been lodged against UTM over the erroneous claims on the slides.

The report was lodged by Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram’s Sungai Petani branch chairperson, reported Malaysiakini.

The portal quoted Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (Mipas) secretary-general S Barathidasan as saying that more police reports would be lodged against the university over the “demeaning” modules.

He also urged the university to apologise to all Malaysian Hindus and immediately remove the course modules.