After diplomatic apologies from Singapore, which was formerly a part of Malaysia, the head of Malaysia’s police force has said that he will ask Interpol for assistance in locating Singaporean-born comedian Jocelyn Chia, who currently resides in New York. On Wednesday, the Malaysian police would make a request for Interpol’s help in their investigation, Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani informed Malaysian media. Chia, a former lawyer who is now presumed to be a U.S. citizen, is being investigated by Malaysian authorities for alleged violations of laws against insult, provocation, and incitement.
Chia caused a stir when she shared a video of a stand-up act on social media in which she used MH370 as the punchline. In 2014, the Boeing 777 vanished while en route from Los Angeles to Beijing with 239 people on board. Plane wreckage has been recovered on beaches in the Indian Ocean and eastern Africa, but the aircraft itself has never been located. It is believed to have fallen into the southern Indian Ocean. Chia’s “total lack of sensitivity and empathy towards Malaysians and victims’ families,” as Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir put it, has surprised many in Malaysia.
High Commissioner Vanu Gopala Menon called Chia’s act at New York’s Comedy Cellar “gratuitously offensive” and said that Singapore “does not condone words or actions that cause harm or hurt to others, and Chia, who is no longer Singaporean, does not in any way reflect our views. “Chia’s former Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan was similarly appalled by Chia’s “horrendous statements.” As reported by CNN on Sunday, Chia, a former lawyer who now performs stand-up, defended her act by saying the tape was misrepresented. Both Malaysian and Singaporean comedians frequently make fun of the other’s country and its peculiarities.
