Prominent Singaporean comedian Kumar has joined a group of fellow entertainers and politicians in expressing disapproval of Jocelyn Chia’s remarks about Malaysia and the missing Malaysia Airlines plane during one of her stand-up performances.
In a video shared on Instagram last Friday, Kumar offered his apologies to Malaysians on behalf of Chia’s comments. He emphasized the importance of refraining from using stand-up comedy as a platform to channel anger and hatred, urging everyone to learn from this incident.
Directly addressing Chia, who was born in the US but raised in Singapore, Kumar advised her to seek help, as he believed she had some personal issues.
The 54-year-old comedian highlighted the frequent visits of Singaporeans to Malaysia for leisure and work. In his caption, he likened both nations to being “brothers and sisters,” emphasizing that any animosity created would be detrimental to their relationship.
Made fun of tragedy
During a stand-up comedy show in New York on April 7, Chia, an American citizen, made jokes about the MH370 tragedy while poking fun at the rivalry between Singapore and Malaysia.
In an 89-second video clip of her performance posted on Instagram, she humorously mentioned Malaysia’s failure to visit Singapore in 40 years, implying that their airplanes were unable to fly. The audience responded with laughter and gasps.
Chia added, “Why, Malaysia Airlines going missing not funny huh? Some jokes don’t land.” Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, departed from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014 but never reached its destination. The plane’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Other entertainers weighed in
Other Singaporean entertainers, including Selena Tan and Sebastian Tan, as well as UFM100.3 radio DJ Huang Wenhong, have also commented on the matter.
Sebastian Tan, speaking to Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao, criticized Chia’s comments as vulgar and disrespectful to the victims and families of the MH370 tragedy. Huang Wenhong condemned Chia for exploiting the grief of others for personal gain.
Actress Selena Tan, in an interview with the Chinese Daily, stated that comedy often walks a fine line between humor and offense, as it involves observing sensitive real-life issues.
Minister also steps in
Chia’s remarks have also faced criticism from Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and the Republic’s High Commissioner to Malaysia.
Dr. Balakrishnan expressed his dismay in a tweet posted on Thursday, stating that he was appalled by Chia’s horrendous statements. He emphasized that Chia did not represent the views of Singaporeans and apologized for the offense caused to Malaysians, as Singapore values its ties with family and friends in Malaysia.
Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mr. Vanu Gopala Menon, also expressed regret for Chia’s hurtful and offensive comments. In a statement released on Thursday, he clarified that the Singapore Government does not endorse words or actions that cause harm or hurt others. Menon emphasized the strong and multifaceted relationship between Singapore and Malaysia and stressed that Chia’s comments undermined the close trust and friendship shared by both nations and their people.