KUCHING: The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia (CBCM) is calling on Malaysians to uphold mutual respect, harmony and bridge-building in conjunction with the 63rd Malaysia Day celebrations today.
CBCM president Most Reverend Datuk Dr Simon Poh said 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 offense against public religious sensitivity,” he said in a statement today (Sept 16).
Poh emphasized that Catholic priests and nuns are held in high esteem, noting generations of dedicated nuns who have devoted their lives to operating hospitals, welfare institutions, and schools serving Malaysians of all races and religions.
The statement follows the national-level Malaysia Pastoral Convention held in Sibu from Sept 9 to 13, which brought together 1,000 delegates—including cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, nuns and church leaders from Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.
The convention saw the Catholic Church commit to strengthening family life and youth development, protecting the environment, expanding welfare services and contributing to nation-building.
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.
