Performing at the Comedy Cellar club in New York, Chia (who describes herself on her website as “originally from Singapore”) compared Singapore with Malaysia – calling the latter “a developing country”.
Then things got messy. She proceeded to hold a mock conversation between the two countries, referencing the tragic MH370 incident which happened nine years ago.
“Why haven’t you (Malaysia) paid me a visit in 40 years?”
“I tried but you know our airplanes can’t fly.”
Chia then doubled down on her joke, saying: “Malaysian Airlines going missing is not funny? Some jokes don’t land. This joke kills in Singapore.”
Her routine drew a strong backlash from netizens who lambasted her for making fun of a national tragedy.
Intan Maizura Othaman, the wife of MH370 crew member Mohd Hazrin Mohamed Hasnan, commented: “When you attend a show that features an incompetent lawyer turned unfunny comedian, this is what you get. Epitome of heinous human!”
Some netizens felt that Chia’s routine was not comedy and was simply “hate speech”.
Source: CNA
