THE Catholic Lawyers' Society of Kuala Lumpur Condemns UMNO Leader's Derogatory Remarks on Catholic Clergy, Consecrated Religious Life, and Scripture
THE Catholic Lawyers' Society of Kuala Lumpur ("the CLS") today condemned the remarks made by Sepang Umno chief Noorazli Said during the party’s Annual General Assembly on 12 September 2026, where he recounted a demeaning and sexually suggestive joke involving a Catholic priest and a nun, falsely attributed to Psalm 129.
“The CLS wishes to place on record that Psalm 129 contains no such content.
“The Psalm speaks of deliverance and the triumph of the righteous over affliction and oppression.
“Noorazli's fabricated attribution is not only factually false but constitutes a distortion of sacred scripture for a crude joke, offending the Catholic community and the wider Christian faith,” it said in a statement.
The CLS is further concerned that the remarks demean the dignity of the priesthood and religious life — offices held in high esteem within the Catholic faith — by portraying them in a manner that is lewd and disrespectful.
Such conduct, made before a large public audience at a national political assembly, is wholly inappropriate and unbecoming of any elected representative or party leader, it said.
“The CLS wishes to remind Noorazli, and indeed all public figures, that the Rukun Negara — Malaysia's national philosophy — enshrines "Belief in God" (Kepercayaan Kepada Tuhan) as its very first principle, reflecting the nation's deep respect for religion and religious harmony among all faiths professed by its people.
“The Rukun Negara further calls for "Good Behaviour and Morality" (Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan) as a guiding principle for all Malaysians.
“Remarks which mock or distort the sacred texts and religious figures of any faith run contrary to these foundational principles and undermine the spirit of mutual respect and racial and religious harmony that the Rukun Negara was designed to uphold, particularly when uttered by a person of standing on a national political platform,”.
The CLS views this matter seriously in light of its potential legal implications.
The CLS further notes that offending remarks have been uploaded, shared, or otherwise disseminated by Noorazli or any other party via Facebook or other social media and network platforms; this may separately constitute an offence under section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which criminalises the improper use of network facilities or network services to transmit content that is obscene, indecent, false, menacing, or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass another person.
The CLS calls on the relevant authorities, including the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and the police, to investigate these matters accordingly.
In view of the foregoing, the CLS calls upon Noorazli Said to:
1. Immediately retract the offending statement;
2. Issue a full and public apology to the Catholic community and all persons offended by his remarks; and
3. Refrain from using religious texts or figures, whether Catholic or of any other faith, as material for political rhetoric or humour.
“The CLS reiterates its commitment to interfaith respect and understanding, and calls on all public figures, particularly those speaking at national platforms, to exercise greater sensitivity and responsibility when referencing matters of religious significance,” added the statement. – September 14, 2026
