Saying sorry is not a competitive sport

SEPT 17 — As if on cue for Malaysia Day, Umno’s General Assembly last weekend produced a furore over faith and sincerity in a divisive time. 

Sepang division chief Noorazli Said took the pulpit to assure members that party president Zahid Hamidi was clever in his dealings with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Harapan.

Almost no one pays attention to a minor division chief’s political sermon with no national presence, so Noorazli does the predictable, he opts for a salacious joke to wrap his point.

Poor decision, considering the party is in religious frenzy to up its credential among Muslim population parties with the intention to benefit from communalism and equally to lead the community.

Umno wants to gain from PAS’ base support but ultimately it wants to rule the said congregation.

In the middle of all of that, priest and nun gags are unnecessary distractions. They are tirelessly trying to show that Muslim unity is the holy grail of national power while lifting up the multiculturalism that they also defend.  

Noorazli’s faux pas invited much criticism.

I’ll pass on the religious examination, but I do have much to add to the apology — or non-apology the situation has produced.

For within it lies the question of sincerity, and the political communication dominant in the country.

Umno members gather for the opening of the 2026 Umno General Assembly at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur on September 11, 2026. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Sorry seems to be the easiest word

In the Internet age where immediacy is imminent, apologies are never far away.

When mistakes are quickly and widely known, remorse and guilt follow as relentlessly.

In a different time, Umno division chiefs are less worried about how minorities react to their jokes. State media filters content, curates comprehension accompanied by messaging, and clarifies to the people like they are children. 

Not now, not in this market. 

Grandparents born around World War Two are remembered by grandchildren worried about their own elderly care in 2040. Between the dead and aging, is the Malaysian public setting the tone. 

This is who Noorazli and all other politicians face.

The Umno Sepang chief issued an apology on September 14, 2026. Two days after his assembly exhortation. The reactions were not to his liking because 16 hours later he posted a follow-up which was a bit rebuttal, remonstration and disgust.

There are dimensions in both statements worth examining.

In the initial output, he outlined that the controversial bit was just an analogy, and if it hurt anyone, he apologises. And promised to be careful next time.

Many accused him of being insincere. I’d accuse him of not actually delivering an apology since he prefaced it with “if I hurt anyone, then I’m sorry.” Which sounds a lot like, “I don’t want to upset you, the people who can vote for me and the party, so if an apology will make you feel better, then I will let you have an apology, so you feel better.”

It appears Noorazli was expecting for his effort to be praised, not ridiculed by so many. Which made him release his tirade about no one being in the position to judge sincerity. Political determinations should not evaluate his words.

Except, there is one thing. Did he actually apologise?

Not marking him out, or just his party. Even Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in July apologised for his “illegal temples” reference. Years back he made derogatory statements about Indians.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/opinion/2023/12/28/anwars-tanjung-malim-k-gaffe/109500

And currently, Zahid himself has been cast as a tad offensive speaking publicly about Umno Wanita Chief Noraini Ahmad’s slimmed down figure and ageing.

A good time to ask ourselves in a time where it is so super easy to say sorry, dissect its purpose.

All apologies

When we say sorry, it’s not about us. It is about the person, community, party or minority the apology is directed to.

Recriminations can continue for a duration depending on the harm, the intention and reactions from the aggrieved.

At times, apologies require repetition due to the scale of the affront.

In a few cases, apologies are never accepted. That’s just how it goes.

I have yet to hear a Malaysian politician say sorry without qualification.

That is where the sincerity sits. Contrition is about regret, humility and restitution.

There are no rules to apologies. As in when a group or person apologises, the affected have to find it in themselves to accept the apology. As I said, apologies are about those hurt. Those who hurt are not owed a positive reaction.

Noorazli’s situation is bad, extremely bad in the Malaysian context. It’s a gaffe. It may not have the longstanding effects of things like forest fires, land clearing, or voter fraud or failing schools, but it is visceral. 

A large assembly asked to laugh about examples which do not apply to those in the hall but do to many outside the trade centre.

When apologies are whole and not put out with technicalities, they do sound more sincere. When they are made in person, rather than in a social media post, they carry more weight.

This is a federation with a deep harrowing past, often buried.

The Internet unearths them one by one, and there is nothing those in power can do.

What is in their hands are choices. Either deflect, feign ignorance or water them down — which appear increasingly foolish as the machines gather momentum — or find the courage to confront them and own the past. And when mistakes and errors were made, acknowledge them and apologise.