It may have been meant as a joke, but the comedian’s words have caused a lot of anger and a diplomatic crisis between two countries.
The joke was made during a stand-up show in New York. Her, comedian Jocelyn Chia made fun at the rivalry between Malaysia and Singapore.
Jocelyn Chia, who is originally from Singapore but lives in the US, said during her show that Malaysians haven’t visited Singapore for years because their ‘planes can’t fly’.
When parts of the audience didn’t laugh, Chia added:
“So, Malaysia Airlines disappearing is no fun, huh? Some jokes fall to the ground.”
The reference to the still unsolved case from 2014, in which Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board, has caused a lot of anger.
According to The Guardian, the comedian’s joke has worsened relations between Singapore and Malaysia. This is despite the fact that Singapore’s foreign minister has officially distanced himself from Jocelyn Chia’s “terrible statements.” He has emphasized that she is not speaking on behalf of the people of Singapore.
In Malaysia, Chia’s joke about the missing plane has not only caused anger. It has also provoked the police to open a case against her for breaching the country’s laws on abusive speech and offensive or obscene content on the internet.
Chia states that she has used the now much-publicized joke more than 100 times over the past year. She added that the words are taken out of context in the clips, which has now gone viral.
Source: bt.dk
