Kuala lumpur: UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh has called on the individual alleged to have made a joke about Catholic priests at the party's general assembly recently to issue a public apology to all Malaysians. Akmal, who is also Melaka Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security Committee chairman, emphasized that religion should not be the subject of jokes by anyone. According to BERNAMA News Agency, Akmal stated, "Imagine if the joke about a priest had instead been about an imam and Muslims, surely we would also be angry." He urged the individual to publicly apologize, highlighting the importance of mutual respect among different religious communities. Akmal made these remarks in a Facebook post, clarifying that the joke did not reflect UMNO's stance but was merely the individual's personal opinion. Earlier, Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau also demanded an unconditional public apology from the speaker at the general assembly to Catholics and the Christian community. Madius criticiz ed the remarks made by the party division chief, which involved the Holy Scriptures, Catholic priests, and nuns, describing them as inappropriate and offensive. He stressed that religious matters should not be subjected to sexually suggestive jokes or ridicule.