Unity minister condemns Umno assembly joke on Catholic clergy, urges authorities to act

National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang condemned a controversial remark made during the Umno General Assembly 2026 involving Catholic priests and nuns, emphasizing the inappropriateness of joking about religious subjects in Malaysia's multi-religious society.

He stressed that religious institutions and beliefs should never be mocked and urged relevant authorities to investigate the matter for potential legal breaches.

While the individual responsible has shown willingness to apologize, Dagang highlighted the need for leaders and public speakers to be more mindful of religious sensitivities.

He also linked the issue to the Rukun Negara's principle of Courtesy and Morality, underscoring its role in maintaining respect and harmony.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang has denounced a controversial remark made during the Umno General Assembly 2026 that used Catholic priests and nuns as the subject of a joke, warning that such conduct crosses a line that must not be tolerated in Malaysia's multi-religious society.

In a media statement today, Dagang said he views the controversy seriously, stressing that jokes touching on religious institutions, religious figures, holy texts or the beliefs of any community are never acceptable, regardless of the intent behind them.

"Religion is not a joke," the minister said, adding that matters held sacred by a community should never be mocked, turned into sexually-toned humour, or exploited merely to draw laughter and applause from a crowd.

Dagang argued that freedom of speech and political expression do not give anyone licence to trample on the religious sensitivities of others, and said this principle must be applied evenly regardless of religion, race, status or political affiliation.

The minister has called on relevant ministries and enforcement agencies to look into the matter and launch investigations if any legal provisions were breached, citing Sections 298 and 298A of the Penal Code as well as related provisions under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

While acknowledging that the individual behind the remark has expressed willingness to apologise, Dagang said he hopes the episode will serve as a reminder to leaders, public speakers and society at large to exercise greater care when addressing matters of religion and belief.

He also linked the controversy to the fifth principle of the Rukun Negara — Courtesy and Morality — describing it as a foundational value that safeguards mutual respect and harmony in Malaysia's diverse society, rather than a mere slogan.

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国家团结部长拿督亚伦·阿戈·达甘谴责了在2026年巫统大会上涉及天主教神父和修女的争议性言论，强调在马来西亚多元宗教社会中拿宗教话题开玩笑是不合适的。

他强调，宗教机构和信仰绝不应被嘲弄，并敦促有关当局调查此事是否存在潜在的违法行为。

虽然肇事者已表示愿意道歉，但达刚强调，领导人和公众人物需要更加注意宗教敏感性。

他还将此问题与国家准则中的礼仪和道德原则联系起来，强调了该原则在维护尊重与和谐方面的作用。

吉隆坡，9月15日讯——国家团结部长拿督亚伦·阿戈·达甘谴责在2026年巫统大会上发表的以天主教神父和修女为笑料的争议性言论，并警告说，这种行为越过了底线，在马来西亚多元宗教社会中绝不能容忍。

达刚今天在一份媒体声明中表示，他非常重视这场争议，并强调，无论其背后的意图如何，任何涉及宗教机构、宗教人物、圣典或任何社群信仰的玩笑都是不可接受的。

“宗教不是儿戏，”这位部长说，并补充道，一个社群视为神圣的事情绝不应该被嘲笑、变成带有性暗示的幽默，或者仅仅为了博取观众的笑声和掌声而被利用。

达刚认为，言论自由和政治表达自由并不赋予任何人践踏他人宗教情感的权利，并表示这一原则必须平等适用，不分宗教、种族、地位或政治派别。

部长呼吁相关部委和执法机构调查此事，并就任何违反法律规定的行为展开调查，援引了《刑法典》第 298 条和第 298A 条以及 1998 年《通信和多媒体法》的相关规定。

达刚承认发表该言论的人已表示愿意道歉，但他希望这一事件能提醒领导人、公众演说家和整个社会，在谈及宗教和信仰问题时要更加谨慎。

他还把这场争议与国家原则的第五项原则——礼貌与道德——联系起来，称其为维护马来西亚多元社会相互尊重与和谐的基本价值观，而不仅仅是一句口号。

安华捍卫其在巫统关系上采取的温和立场，称政府稳定必须放在首位。

安华表示，国际贸易及工业部将寻求扩大马来西亚商品在印度的市场准入。

据称，一名女子因嫉妒与丈夫发生争吵，遭丈夫连刺13刀，嫌疑人随后投案自首。