From Ham Sap Kopi To Death Threats: Rocky Start To 2025 For Comedian Harith Iskander
Harith Iskander and his family are currently cooperating with authorities to address these threats and ensure their safety.
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Malaysian comedian Harith Iskander Musa faced significant public scrutiny following a social media post that many deemed insensitive to Islamic beliefs.
The controversy centered on a Facebook post by Harith featuring a picture of a menu which contained a coffee labelled “Ham Sap Kopi”.
Im SO confused. My iman tergugat.
— Harith Iskander (@HarithIskander) January 18, 2025
This kopi will lead me down the wrong path
Not just tempting me to become hamsap but ALSO confusing me with the word 'ham' in it.
Ni untuk minum atau makan?
I must make a polis report because i am so weak i have lost all ability to use logic pic.twitter.com/1iDqnFZh1b
Joking that he was now confused if he would be led down the wrong path, this offended some Muslims due to the association of “ham” with pork, a food prohibited in Islam.
This led to multiple police reports filed against him, including one by fellow comedian Shahrol Shiro.
READ MORE: Comedian Shahrol Shiro Lodges Report Against Harith Iskander For Allegedly Insulting Islam
In response to the backlash, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) announced plans to summon Harith for further discussions regarding the incident.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar told Berita Harian they have provided several dates and are waiting for Harith to get back to them on when he can come in.
Additionally, the police recorded Harith’s statement as part of their investigation into the matter.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said they are also working to identify Facebook user Cecelia Yap Song KL.
The Facebook user also had a police report lodged against them for leaving an allegedly insensitive comment on Harith’s “Ham Sap Kopi” post.
Cecelia Yap Song KL had allegedly joked that all Mohammed names should be changed after this.
Amidst the controversy, Harith’s ex-wife, Dr Jezamine Lim, revealed that their family had received death threats, including vile threats of abuse against their children.
These threats led to the cancellation of Harith’s scheduled performance at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) scheduled for 25 January, as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of his family.
Lim, in a social media post, emphasized that while public figures are often subject to criticism, the safety and well-being of their children remain their top priority.
She expressed deep concern over the escalation of threats and urged for a more compassionate and measured response from the public.
The family is currently cooperating with authorities to address these threats and ensure their safety.
In the most recent update, a 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of making the death threat.
The IGP said the suspect was detained on Saturday (25 January) after Harith’s manager lodged a police report.
He told Harian Metro that there had been two incidents in which threats were allegedly made.
In the first incident, the suspect had made a death threat while in the second incident, a photograph of Harith’s children was sent containing a threatening message.
The suspect’s phone was seized and he is remanded until tomorrow to facilitate investigation under Section 506 and 509 of the Penal Code.
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