In a Facebook post tonight, Nizam said Lim was promoted due to his outstanding performance and fully deserved the rank.

“I feel compelled to address those with narrow-minded thinking out there, especially those who have turned the promotion of lieutenant-general Johnny Lim into a controversy, claiming it threatens unity and various other baseless narratives.

“Such views are misplaced, distorted, and extremely shallow. Don’t try to associate it to twisted facts if you’re ignorant of history,” he said.

Nizam said the armed forces are a “melting pot” of Malaysians united by patriotism and a shared goal of defending national sovereignty.

“This is a true model of unity in diversity, and it has proven to be highly effective,” he said.

His remarks come after Sungai Buloh PAS chief Zaharudin Muhammad was criticised for a Facebook post speculating the emergence of a “first Malaysian Chinese prime minister” in the next 30 to 40 years.

He included in his posting a screenshot of a news report of Lim’s promotion, but claimed it was “just for illustration”.

Zaharudin has since deleted the posting and said it was “taken out of context”.

PAS distanced itself from the post, saying it was completely against the party’s stance.

Secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the appointment was a historic milestone that should be celebrated by all Malaysians, and added that the party would not hesitate to take disciplinary action against members who engage in insensitive behaviour that undermines national unity and fosters disharmony.