By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 15: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan has demanded that the Umno leadership issue a formal and public apology to Christians across Malaysia, particularly those in Sarawak, over what he described as a vulgar and deeply disrespectful joke involving the Holy Bible, saying the incident reflected a disturbing level of insensitivity and recklessness in Malaysian politics.
In a statement today, Voon strongly condemned remarks made by Sepang Umno chief Noorazli Said during debates at the 2026 Umno General Assembly, arguing that the issue was not confined to a single Christian denomination but was offensive to Christians as a whole.
“The Bible is the Holy Book of Christians of all denominations. Any act or joke that desecrates, mocks or treats the Holy Bible with contempt is therefore deeply offensive to Christians as a whole,” he said.
Voon was referring to Noorazli’s analogy involving a priest and a nun, in which the priest was said to have repeatedly touched the nun’s thigh while changing gears in a car. In the story, the nun told the priest to “remember Psalm 129”, which Noorazli suggested was an invitation for the priest to “go further upward to find glory”. But the supposed reference to Psalm 129 did not contain the words he attributed to it. The remarks have since sparked widespread criticism and backlash.
Voon stressed that religious faith should never be used as material for vulgar jokes or political theatrics, noting that the Bible is sacred to millions of Christians, including the large Christian community in Sarawak.
He said political leaders, especially those holding public office or positions of influence, should recognise that words and actions involving religion carry serious consequences.
“What happened reflects a disturbing level of insensitivity and recklessness in Malaysian politics. Differences in religion must never become an excuse for ridicule, provocation or humiliation,” he said.
According to Voon, political leaders have a responsibility to uphold mutual respect and social harmony rather than undermine them.
Highlighting Sarawak’s long-standing tradition of racial and religious harmony, he said the State had demonstrated that people of different faiths and backgrounds could live together peacefully, celebrate one another’s festivals and respect each other’s beliefs.
“Our religious diversity is not a weakness; it is one of Sarawak’s greatest strengths,” he said.
Voon warned that Sarawakians would not accept what he described as the importation of divisive racial and religious politics that could threaten the State’s social cohesion.
He reiterated his call for the Umno leadership to publicly apologise to Christians nationwide, particularly those in Sarawak, and said the matter should not be brushed aside as a mere misunderstanding.
“When a sacred religious text is used as the subject of a vulgar joke, the appropriate response is accountability and a sincere apology — not excuses,” he said.
Voon said respect for the faith of others was a fundamental requirement for anyone seeking public office in a multireligious society.
He also called on Sarawakians of all faiths to stand together in defending mutual respect, religious freedom and the harmony built over generations.
“Enough is enough. Religion must never be made the target of political jokes and provocation,” he said. — DayakDaily
