Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan abdicated as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on January 6. — Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 8 — Flooded with critical comments on its Facebook page, tech firm Cisco Asean today announced that the Malaysian man accused of insulting the monarchy is no longer its employee.

In a brief statement posted on its Facebook page early this morning, Cisco Asean asserted that it respects and honours Malaysian laws and traditions.

“The remark was made by the employee in his personal capacity and does not represent Cisco’s views.

“We deeply regret any distress caused and apologise. The employee has also issued an apology and is no longer with the company,” the company said, without naming the man.

Upset Malaysians took to social media yesterday raining scorn on and calling for action against a man identified as Eric Liew for his crass comment following the sudden abdication of Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on January 6.

Online sleuths pinned him as an employee of Cisco Asean and triggered an avalanche of comments on its Facebook page, demanding his sacking.

Amid the online uproar, a company with a similar name, consulting agency Cisco (M) Sdn Bhd, was caught in the backlash.

Umno Youth members later jumped into the fray when several members of the Opposition party dropped in on Cisco (M) Sdn Bhd’s office at KL Sentral yesterday afternoon with a memorandum demanding disciplinary action against Liew.

The wing has called for a protest outside Cisco (M) Sdn Bhd’s office later this afternoon if its demand is not met, despite the company’s clarification that Liew is not its employee nor is it the same company as Cisco Asean.

The man at the centre of the row has since been reported by news portal Air Times to have deactivated his Facebook account, after admitting to making “a rude comment about our ex-Agong today which was in bad taste”.

He also apologised and added: “I hope those angered by it can forgive me.”

The Conference of Rulers is scheduled to meet on January 24 to elect the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong and his deputy, after Sultan Muhammad V stepped down mid-term.

Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak, who previously served as deputy Agong, has been named acting Agong, pending the appointment of a new successor.