Ever told a joke so bad that a foreign government wants to arrest you? That’s the predicament that Singaporean-American comedian Jocelyn Chia finds herself in after making fun of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Chia, a former lawyer who was born in the United States but grew up in Singapore, was performing at the iconic New York comedy club The Comedy Cellar in April when she launched into a bit about the sometimes-testy historical relationship between Singapore and Malaysia.
During the bit, Chia joked that Malaysian “airplanes cannot fly,” referencing the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. After shocked gasps from the audience, she doubled down, joking “Malaysian Airlines going missing not funny, huh? Some jokes don’t land.”
Our take? That’s incredible banter. The Malaysian government, however, hasn’t seen the funny side. Malaysian police have launched an investigation under Malaysian incitement and offensive online content laws, and have even gone to the unprecedented step of asking Interpol to help locate her. Talk about sour grapes…
WATCH Jocelyn Chia telling the joke that’s got her in so much trouble below.
Despite the fact she’s potentially got Interpol chasing her down, Chia seems to be rather enjoying the attention she’s gained from the controversy.
“I just wish I could have seen the face of the Interpol officer who received this request,” she told BBC News in an interview. “Honestly, if Interpol does do something about this request and things escalate, can you imagine how famous it is going to make me?”
She’s also made the point that America, where she performed the joke, has a much more robust stand-up comedy culture compared to Asia, pointing out that American comics have previously used the September 11 terror attacks as fodder for their jokes. “You won’t find a lot of edgy comedy in Asia,” she says.
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is still a sore topic for Malaysians
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, also known as MH370, remains one of the most perplexing mysteries in aviation history. On March 8, 2014, the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport bound for Beijing Capital International Airport with 239 people on board, including passengers and crew. However, less than an hour into the flight, the plane vanished from radar screens and communication was lost.
The search for the missing plane ranks as the most expensive search in the history of aviation. Despite an extensive search operation over many years involving multiple countries (with Australia taking a leading role), only a small amount of debris has been recovered from the plane and the mystery remains unsolved.