KUALA LUMPUR – Police will submit the investigation papers regarding a ‘ham’ joke, which is alleged to have insulted Islam, to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) tomorrow.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed that police had recorded the statement of a 64-year-old woman, believed to be Cecilia Yap Song, who is suspected of making a comment in response to a controversial post by comedian and actor Harith Iskander.
“Twenty-one questions were asked of the retired nurse, and she acknowledged posting the comment,” Razarudin explained. “She stated that she made the post in response to a post by the comedian-actor, who had been confused by the word ‘ham.’ The police also seized a mobile phone and a Maxis SIM card.”
On Friday, the police recorded Harith Iskander’s statement regarding the post, which featured a photo of an RM5.50 coffee drink called ‘ham sap kopi.’ The content was accused of mocking Islam and Prophet Muhammad’s name, amid the controversy surrounding the halal status of ham and cheese sandwiches.
Sixteen reports have been filed about the issue, prompting the police to initiate an investigation under Sections 298 and 505 of the Penal Code, along with Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
On January 24, the police had recorded Harith’s statement regarding the ‘ham’ post, which allegedly insulted Islam.
As of now, one investigation has been opened under Section 298 of the Penal Code, Section 505 of the Penal Code, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Harith, aged 54, was accused of uploading a post showing a glass of coffee named ‘ham sap kopi’ priced at RM5.50. A check of the celebrity’s Facebook page, which boasts one million followers, revealed that the post was shared last Saturday.
“I am so confused. My faith is shaken. This coffee will lead me down the wrong path in many ways,” Harith wrote.
“Not only does it tempt me to become ‘hamsap,’ but it also makes me confused about the word ‘ham’ in it. Is this for drinking or eating?”
“I must file a police report because I’m so weak that I’ve lost all ability to think logically. Who else is confused?” he added, ending the post with a crying-laughing emoji. – January 27, 2025