Factors and High Commissioner to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon have issued apologies following a controversial joke made by Singapore-born comic Jocelyn Chia about the disappearance of MH370. The incident occurred during Chia’s performance on the Comedy Cellar in New York, the place she joked about the rivalry between Singapore and Malaysia, utilizing the tragedy of MH370 as a punchline.
Balakrishnan expressed his disapproval on Twitter, stating that he was “appalled” by Chia’s “horrendous statements” and extending his apologies to Malaysians for the offence triggered. Similarly, High Commissioner Menon denounced Chia’s “gratuitously offensive comments” and clarified that the Singapore authorities doesn’t condone such actions. He also emphasised that Chia, who’s now not a Singaporean citizen, doesn’t symbolize the views of the nation.
The joke sparked outrage amongst Malaysians, particularly those who had misplaced members of the family on the ill-fated flight. MH370 disappeared in 2014 en route to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board. Despite intensive search efforts, the plane’s wreckage has by no means been discovered, with only some pieces of debris discovered on Indian Ocean islands and jap African seashores.
Intan Maizura Othaman, the spouse of a crew member who was on MH370, accused Chia of creating a “distasteful cheap shot” for the sake of gaining popularity. Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir also condemned the comedian’s lack of sensitivity and empathy in the course of the victims’ households.
Fellow Malaysian comedian Harith Iskander weighed in on the problem, acknowledging the significance of freedom of expression in comedy but emphasising the need for sensitivity and empathy when dealing with private or tragic topics. He stated that Chia’s joke had crossed the line and caused unnecessary distress to those affected by the MH370 tragedy..