Malaysian Muslim comedian faces backlash for ham joke, sparking free speech debate

Harith Iskander’s joke about ham sap kopi – a coffee drink – offended some Muslims, leading to police reports and calls for his social media suspension

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Malaysian comedian Harith Iskander performs. Photo: Facebook/Harith Iskander

Published: 5:02pm, 23 Jan 2025Updated: 8:56pm, 23 Jan 2025

Malaysian religious authorities plan to summon an award-winning Muslim comedian for questioning over a joke posted on social media about ham that has ignited intense religious sensitivities in the Muslim-majority nation and raised questions over the boundaries of free speech in a culturally diverse society.

Racial and religious issues have become increasingly contentious in recent years, driven by culture wars and partisanship, particularly from a Malay nationalist movement appealing to a discontented Malay-Muslim majority struggling with rising living costs.

The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) said they will call in Malaysian stand-up comedy pioneer Harith Iskander regarding a Facebook post over the weekend, in which he humorously commented on the word ham in the name of an iced coffee drink – ham sap kopi – that he jokingly suggested could “lead me down the wrong path in so many ways”.

Harith Iskander’s Facebook post about a coffee drink that has him in trouble with the Malaysian Islamic Development Department. Photo: Facebook/Harith Iskander

“Im SO confused. My iman tergugat [my faith is at risk] … Not just tempting me to become hamsap but ALSO confusing me with the word ‘ham’ in it. Harith said, using the Cantonese word for lewd. “Is this to drink or eat?”

The agency has also filed a police report and is collaborating with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to push for a possible suspension of social media accounts and removal of the allegedly offensive content.

“Jakim will never compromise with any act of making fun of Islamic teachings and hurting the sensitivities of Muslims,” the department’s director general Sirajuddin Suhaimee said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Any topics involving the 3Rs, race, religion and royalty are extremely sensitive in Malaysia.

Harith has not commented on the controversy.