DAP lawmakers reject Umno leader's 'conditional' apology over priest-nun joke

 

Several DAP lawmakers have rejected Sepang Umno chief Noorazli Said’s “apology” for his joke about a Catholic priest and nun delivered during the party’s recent annual general assembly.

They highlighted the conditional nature of Noorazli’s apology and questioned his sincerity, while criticising him for trivialising the weighty issue of sexual harassment.

Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid (above) said an apology should not be a “reset button” for politicians who cross the line.

“Political accountability cannot simply mean apologising after crossing the line. It must also mean having the judgment not to cross it in the first place,” she said in response to Noorazli’s Facebook statement.

Noorazli (below), responding to Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh’s call for him to apologise, said he had not intended to insult anyone or any religion and was “prepared to apologise if his remarks caused misunderstanding”.

He also told Malaysiakini that he quoted the joke from a “widely circulated” 55-second animated video on YouTube.

However, Syerleena said the explanation made matters worse, arguing that political leaders should have the judgment not to repeat everything they encounter online.

She said the controversy reflected a recurring “cakap dulu, minta maaf kemudian” (speak first, apologise later) culture in Malaysian politics.

“What happened at the Umno general assembly was not a slip of the tongue. Noorazli chose to tell a sexually suggestive joke involving a Catholic priest and a nun,” she said.

Syerleena also criticised the joke for trivialising unwanted touching and sexual harassment by depicting a man’s hand lingering on a woman’s thigh.

“No Christian should have to explain why their faith deserves respect. No woman should have to explain why unwanted touching is not a joke,” she added.

Apology shouldn't need an 'if'

DAP national assistant organising secretary Lee Chin Chen said Noorazli’s response could not be considered sincere because it placed the burden on those offended rather than acknowledging wrongdoing.

“‘If you were offended, I am willing to apologise’ and ‘What I said was inappropriate, and I apologise’ are two entirely different things,” said the Bilut assemblyperson in a statement today.

“The former shifts the issue onto how others interpreted or felt about the remarks.

“The latter is an acknowledgement of wrongdoing and an acceptance of responsibility,” he stressed, questioning why figures from another faith had to be used for a sexually suggestive joke at a political assembly.

Lee (above) also warned against double standards, asking whether the same defence would be accepted if a politician used Islam and its religious figures in a similar joke.

“If we demand respect for our own faith, we must extend the same respect to the faiths of others,” he said.

Lee urged Noorazli to retract his remarks and issue an unconditional apology to the Christian community and all Malaysians.

“A sincere apology does not need the word ‘if’,” he added.

Call for police investigation

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok meanwhile urged police to investigate whether Noorazli’s remarks violated any laws or could undermine interfaith harmony.

Her call comes as the Catholic Lawyers’ Society of Kuala Lumpur prepares to lodge a police report against Noorazli.

Its president, Kevin De Rozario, said Noorazli had falsely attributed the punchline to Psalm 129 and distorted sacred scripture for a crude joke, offending Catholics and the wider Christian community.

Kok (below) said the remarks could not be dismissed as political humour when religious figures and sacred scripture were used in a sexual joke.

“Religion is not material for a joke. Sacred scripture is not material for a sexual joke. Priests and nuns are not characters to be mocked at will merely to elicit applause and laughter,” she said.

She also called on Noorazli to issue an open and unequivocal apology to Christians, particularly Catholics.

Noorazli told the joke while praising Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s political wisdom during the party’s general assembly.

It depicted a priest touching a nun’s thigh while driving and purportedly linked its punchline to Psalm 129, although the quoted line does not appear in the biblical passage. - Mkini