Hew Kuan Yau, when contacted, said he was hurrying to the federal police headquarters.

“Yes, yes, I am in a rush now,” he said when asked if he had been called for questioning. However, he did not reveal what he would be questioned about.

A Penang-based political activist previously lodged a police report against Hew for allegedly insulting Islam in a Facebook post in 2017.

More recently, Hew came under scrutiny over his 164-page comic book, co-produced with another artist. This followed news that 2,500 copies of the book had been distributed to school libraries as reference material.

Among those critical of Hew were PPBM Youth leader Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Education Minister Maszlee Malik, who barred further distribution of the book at schools.

Hew was also accused of racism for calling those who sympathised with the plight of the Uighur minority in China “extremists”.