“Mentega Terbang” director Khairi Anwar Jailani and four others – Tan Meng Kheng, Arjun Thanaraju, Vishnuvarman Ragunathan and Ti-Teng Hui – want Zabidi Mohamed to issue an apology for the allegedly slanderous comments that were published on Facebook on Feb 25, March 2 and March 3.

They want Zabidi to delete the Facebook postings, pledge not to republish his comments in any way or form, and pay damages for allegedly tarnishing their reputation.

They have given him 48 hours to respond to the letter of demand, failing which they will initiate legal proceedings.

In the Facebook posts, Zabidi had alleged that the film “blatantly” insulted Islam and was blasphemous towards the religion. He claimed it was aimed at leading Muslims, particularly teenagers, towards apostasy.

He had also named Tan, the film’s producer, as well as Khairi, Arjun, Vishnuvarman and Ti as its scriptwriters in one of his posts.

“From start to finish, the narrative of this story is full of blasphemous elements. It’s not just one scene,” he is alleged to have said in one of the posts.

In a separate Facebook post, Zabidi confirmed receiving the letter of demand and said he would address the matter in court.

“In order to uphold the faith of Muslims in Malaysia, I will fight (them in court). If there are any Muslim lawyers who want to join me in preserving the sanctity of Islam, you may contact me,” he said.

“Mentega Terbang”, which touches on the differences and similarities of the major religions in Malaysia, has drawn criticism from the public as well as artistes following its release on streaming platform Viu.

A police report has also been lodged over the flim.

Yesterday, religious affairs minister Na’im Mokhtar said the Islamic development department (Jakim) would meet the film’s production team.

Na’im said Jakim had reviewed the film’s content and found that it went against the Islamic creed.