The recent remarks made by Singapore-born comedian Jocelyn Chia, which appeared to make light of the MH370 disappearance, have sparked controversy and drawn the attention of both Malaysians and Singaporeans.
In response to the backlash, Malaysian authorities have expressed their intention to locate Chia. Inspector-General of the Malaysian Police, Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, stated that they would submit a request to Interpol on Wednesday, June 14, seeking their assistance in tracking down the comedian.
“You can keep going, Malaysia”
Chia, however, responded to the authorities by expressing gratitude for the newfound attention, jokingly mentioning that her “Netflix special” was practically writing itself. She also highlighted her media presence by noting her appearances on CNN, The New York Times, and BBC World, along with an upcoming interview scheduled with Fox News on Saturday, June 17.
Taking to Twitter, Chia shared a screenshot of BBC News’ report concerning Malaysia’s plan to involve Interpol. In her caption, she humorously stated that her Netflix special was developing perfectly and thanked Malaysia for contributing to it.
Says her joke taken out of context
During an interview with BBC, Chia expressed her view that involving Interpol in this matter was excessive, referring to it as “ridiculous.” She also mentioned her curiosity about the reaction of the Interpol officer who would receive such a request. Chia even speculated on the potential increase in her fame if the situation were to escalate due to Interpol’s involvement.
While she stood by her joke in its entirety when presented in a comedy club setting, Chia admitted that the isolated clip could be misinterpreted outside of that context. Reflecting on the situation, she acknowledged the risk of presenting the clip without the complete comedic environment.
Addressing concerns about her controversial joke, Chia explained to CNN that she had performed her routine on numerous occasions over the course of 1.5 years without any issues. She clarified that the condensed clip featuring the MH370 joke lacked the necessary context when shared on social media platforms.
Chia emphasized that the joke was based on the longstanding friendly rivalry between Singaporeans and Malaysians. She expressed no animosity toward Malaysia and stated that comedians often “roast” their audience members during shows. She highlighted instances where Malaysian audience members approached her after performances, expressing their enjoyment and implying that they did not take offense.
Chia reiterated that her intention as a comedian was to bring smiles to people’s faces and that her jokes were never fueled by malice. She emphasized that within the comedy club context, her aim was simply to elicit laughter, devoid of any ill intent.