Earlier in January, there was a controversy surrounding KK Super Mart allegedly selling ham sandwiches at one of their outlets. The story sparked outrage among netizens, but the situation worsened when comedian Harith Iskander made an insensitive joke about the issue on Facebook.
Many have reported him and another individual named Cecilia Yap to the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). After nearly two months, we finally have an update on the case.
Here’s some context: Harith Iskander made a joke on Facebook that seemingly mocked Muslim customers who expressed anger over the KK Super Mart ‘ham’ controversy. One Facebook user, Cecilia Yap, commented on the comedian’s post, which was deemed insensitive to Islam. According to reports, both the celebrity and the woman will each be fined RM10,000 by the MCMC, with the approval of the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
The MCMC stated that the fine would be issued under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for the improper use of network facilities. The offensive content from both individuals has since been removed from Facebook after being reported to the parent company, META, as it violated the social network’s community guidelines.
MCMC added in their official statement that they have filed a request to META to have both the comedian’s and the woman’s Facebook accounts closed. “This request is currently under review by Meta,” the government agency said. On a related note, MCMC also issued a notice of intent to suspend the license of the operator of Era FM following the controversial video in which three radio hosts mocked a Hindu religious ritual.
