Harith Iskander's gag deemed to have mocked Islam

Comedian Harith Iskander has been fined the equivalent of £1,750 after making a pun about the word ‘ham’ deemed to have mocked Islam. 

The offending Facebook post was also pulled by the site’s owner, Meta, at the request of Malaysia’s communications watchdog. The body has  also demanded Iskander’s account be shut down completely, adding: ‘ This request is currently under review by Meta’

The stand-up posted a joke on social media about an iced coffee drink called ham sap kopi, as hamsap is the Cantonese word for lewd as well as containing the name of the pork product forbidden to Muslims.  

He wrote: ‘I’m SO confused. My iman tergugat [my faith is at risk]. This kopi will lead me down the wrong path in so many ways.  Not just tempting me to become hamsap but ALSO confusing me with the word "ham" in it.’

The Malaysian government’s religious ministry, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department known as Jakim swung into action against the comic, with its director general Sirajuddin Suhaimee  saying: ‘’Jakim will never compromise with any act of making fun of Islamic teachings and hurting the sensitivities of Muslims.’

Fellow Malaysian comedian  Shahrol Azizie Azmi was among those who o reported the post to police, saying: ‘Not all perspectives can be turned into comedy material.’ 

Iskander, 58,  and a woman named Cecelia Yap, who made the same joke online, were each fined 10,000 Malaysian Ringgits, about the equivalent of six weeks’ average salary in the country.

Iskander was named the ‘funniest person in the world’ in an international competition run by America’s Laugh Factory comedy clubs in 2016.  He released a Netflix comedy special, I Told You So, in 2018 and regularly tours across Asia and Australia, having been to university in Perth.

Published: 7 Mar 2025