The Penang Front Party has lodged a police report over a viralised mugshot image of ex-premier Najib Abdul Razak affixed to a tombstone, in a Ching Ming setting.

During the Chinese grave-sweeping festival, rituals involving joss sticks and food offerings are performed by family members to honour the deceased.

However, the party's youth member Eagen Teoh Kean Liang said the act of affixing Najib’s image to a tombstone by his opponents is a "curse and insult" to the former PM and his family.

Following his dismal performance at the 14th national polls, Najib quit his BN and Umno chief posts and is currently facing court charges for criminal breach of trust related to funds allegedly misappropriated from SRC International, a subsidiary of graft-ridden 1MDB.

Even if it was meant as a joke, Teoh said the Chinese community cannot accept such gestures.

"This could cause racial strains. The poster has asked if you have donated to the dead, in reference to Najib," Teoh told reporters at a press conference.

“I am sure we have all studied moral studies, we are told to respect all, regardless of what they have done," he added.

Teoh and several youth wing members lodged the report at the Northeast Police headquarters along Jalan Pattani in Penang.

Teoh urged netizens to stop resorting to "bullying and cursing" in such a manner, regardless of the person's reputation or position.

He urged the police to investigate the identity of the Facebook author who goes by the moniker "Liew Yi".

Under Najib's photo on the tombstone are the words "dead in 2018 and born in 1953", accompanied by the caption "Today, I went to donate money to the chicken. Have you donated?" (Part of Najib’s name sounds like the Mandarin word for "chicken".)

The alleged Facebook author had reportedly shared the post in a pro-Pakatan Harapan group called “New government new hope (新政府 新希望)”, a public group on Facebook with over 13,000 members.

A police spokesperson told reporters Teoh's report has been received and an investigation is underway.