PETALING JAYA: Datuk Noorazli Said has apologised over a joke he made about priests at the recent Umno general assembly.
The Sepang Umno chief acknowledged that his remarks could have been interpreted differently and caused misunderstanding, particularly in Malaysia's multi-religious society.
He said the story was shared solely as an analogy to highlight the importance of focus, perseverance and wisdom in achieving a goal and was not intended to insult, belittle or make fun of any individual, belief or religion.
"If my remarks have caused any misunderstanding or offended anyone, particularly the Christians, I humbly offer my apologies.
"I also take this as a lesson to be more careful in choosing analogies and expressing my views in the future.
"I respect every religion and belief and will always uphold the harmony, mutual respect and understanding that form an important foundation of life in our plural society.
"I hope this explanation will help ease the misunderstanding that has arisen and that we can continue to preserve harmony and a spirit of mutual respect among one another," he said in a statement on Monday (Sept 14).
Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh called on Noorazli to issue an immediate apology, saying that matters about religion should not be turned into a joke.
Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Arthur Kurup also called for an unconditional apology, saying it must be made without giving further reasons for the offensive and hurtful speech, particularly to Malaysian Christians.
