Ibn Ruru said he made the gesture in support of the Palestine struggle against Israel.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — The German Embassy today expressed shock and condemned the action of a public university student, who was photographed doing the Nazi salute on-stage during his graduation ceremony.

In a statement today, the embassy reminded the masses, of the genocide and suffering brought upon the late Adolf Hitler's regime, during World War II (WWII).

The Malaysian government and the university's management were also urged to reciprocate its similar sentiments.

“The German Embassy is shocked to learn that a graduate of Universiti Malaysia Sabah showed the Nazi salute during the convocation ceremony last weekend.

“Considering the terrible suffering that was brought upon the world during World War II by the Nazi regime of Germany, the German Embassy unequivocally condemns any show of support for a regime responsible for genocide and would expect the Malaysian Government and University authorities to do the same,” the short statement posted on the embassy's Facebook page, read.

The graduate, known only as Ibn Ruru on Facebook, drew fire from social media users after uploading the photo on Facebook.

An accompanying caption praised Hitler, a former dictator, and German Reich Chancellor, for committing the Holocaust during WWII, which exterminated up to six million European Jews.

Ibn Ruru justified the salute by claiming solidarity with the plight of the Palestinians against the Israeli establishment, and his anger, hatred and vengeance towards the Jewish people.

The post was subsequently removed from Facebook following several reports lodged against it, for violating the Facebook Community Standards.

The graduate later made a follow-up post in which he claimed he made the gesture as a joke.

Some Muslims worldwide, including in Malaysia, have publicly expressed their admiration for Hitler for executing the Jews.

In 2014, Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Bung Moktar Radin tweeted a salute to Hitler, while now Perlis mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin wrote that the Nazi dictator “might have been right” in exterminating the Jews.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has, however, distanced itself from the act of a graduate during its convocation ceremony, but said it was his “personal view”.

The public institution expressed regret that the photo of the graduate, who performed the Nazi salute while on stage to receive his degree scroll, was then uploaded on Facebook.