Umno leader ready to apologise, says no insult intended by 'priest-nun' joke

 

Sepang Umno chief Noorazli Said has denied intending to insult anyone or any religion with a joke involving a Catholic priest and nun, but said he was prepared to apologise if it had caused any misunderstanding.

“We should take a lesson from the story. It was not intended to insult anyone or any religion.

“If the interpretation used could lead to misunderstanding, I am prepared to apologise,” Noorazli told Malaysiakini today.

His remarks came as pressure mounted from within and outside Umno for him to apologise, which was delivered during the party's recent general assembly.

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh said Noorazli had crossed the line with the "distasteful" joke, stressing that religion was a sensitive matter and should never be used as the punchline of a joke.

“Imagine if someone made a similar joke but used an imam instead. Of course, we Muslims would be furious.

“So, this should not have happened, and he should apologise,” Akmal (below) added.

Joke from YouTube

Noorazli’s remarks have also drawn condemnation from various quarters, with the Catholic Lawyers’ Society of Kuala Lumpur planning to lodge a police report against him.

In his speech, Noorazli did not identify the source of the joke. Asked about it today, he shared a YouTube link to a 55-second animated video titled “The Priest, The Nun & Psalm 129 - A Hilarious Twist!”, accompanied by a laughing emoji and a cross symbol.

“This source is widely used around the world. It’s nothing new. I’m just quote (sic),” he told Malaysiakini.

In a separate statement on Facebook, Noorazli reiterated his readiness to apologise, adding, “I also take this matter as a lesson to be more careful in future when choosing an analogy and expressing my view.”

Noorazli used the joke while illustrating what he described as the importance of political wisdom and praised Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s leadership.

However, the line he quoted does not appear in Psalm 129 of the Bible. - Mkini