THE Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia (CBCM) called on Malaysians to uphold mutual respect, harmony and bridge-building in conjunction with the 63rd Malaysia Day celebrations today.
In a Malaysia Day message, Archbishop Simon Poh of Kuching urged citizens to reject prejudice, hatred and divisive language.
"The nation’s multi-racial strength should be protected, particularly following a recent incident involving Sepang UMNO division chief Datuk Noorazli Said, whose “priest and nun joke” at a public gathering subsequently went viral.
“In this spirit of mutual friendship, jokes of this nature have no place in any official assembly in Malaysia.
“It is entirely understandable that many citizens were offended and have called for legal action, a public apology, a retraction of the joke, and an adequate redress of this offence against public religious sensitivity,” he said in a statement today.
Poh was referring to a recent incident in which Noorazli was reported to have shared the joke at the 2026 UMNO General Assembly, which was widely circulated on social media.
The bishops’ message called the incident an opportunity to reflect on the importance of mutual respect in a country where people of different faiths have sought to live together in peace and harmony.
"Let us reject all forms of political and even religious rhetoric, divisive language that hurts religious communities and fractures our multiracial society," he said.
The Archbishop said the call for greater harmony was especially significant as Kuching hosts this year's national-level Malaysia Day celebration.
Poh noted that while Malaysia remains geographically divided by the South China Sea with visible economic and infrastructure discrepancies, the nation is deeply enriched by its cultural and linguistic diversity.
Calling on all citizens to guard their hearts against prejudice, hatred and stereotyping, Poh urged Malaysians to reject divisive political and religious rhetoric.
“From the land of harmony in Sarawak, on behalf of my brother Bishops and the Catholic Community in Malaysia, I wish you a very blessed 63rd Malaysia Day. Selamat Hari Malaysia,” he added. – September 16, 2026
