KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 2026 — Senator Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali said he rarely agrees with UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh’s political approach, but this time he is giving him credit for insisting that religion should not be used as material for jokes.
The senator, who is also a Member of the Dewan Negara, said he agreed with the stand that religion is not a subject for humour. Mocking or belittling another faith, he warned, would only invite insults against Islam in return.
“I agree with the stand that has been put forward — religion should not be made into a joke,” he said in a statement.
“An approach that toys with or belittles another religion will only invite insults against Islam as well.”
Sheikh Umar said non-Muslims’ acceptance of, and respect for, Islam depends greatly on how Muslims themselves present the faith. In a multi-religious society such as Malaysia, he said, the way Muslims interact with other religions must be guided by wisdom and prudence, not anger or raw emotion.
“I believe the public does not want religion to be used as a tool to insult, provoke or embarrass others,” he said.
He added that this has been his consistent position, including during the “stepping on the soolam” episode and the “tahlil for Anthony Loke” controversy. The circumstances of those incidents may have differed, he said, but the underlying principle was the same.
Islamic teaching, he noted, cautions believers not to insult the objects of worship and beliefs of other religions, lest others respond by insulting Allah and Islam without knowledge.
The remarks follow Akmal’s call, after a speech at the recent UMNO General Assembly, for religion not to be turned into comedy. The controversy arose after Sepang UMNO chief Datuk Noorazli Said used a joke involving a Catholic priest and a nun while debating the presidential address. Akmal later said that if a similar joke had targeted an imam and Muslims, the reaction would have been equally angry, and he urged an open apology.
Sheikh Umar closed by calling on all sides to improve themselves and take a lesson from the episode.
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