Comedian sparks outrage for ‘offensive’ joke about MH370 plane disappearance

Singapore-born stand-up comedian Jocelyn Chia is in hot water for a skit that poked fun at the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Chia, 41, has come under fire from Malaysian officials after the prank, which took place at a US comedy club, went viral.

The New York-based comedian posted the act on social media, sparking outrage in Malaysia and prompting Singapore officials to issue a swift apology.

She made crude remarks about Malaysia, which she said was far behind Singapore after they split in 1965.

She joked that Malaysian planes couldn’t fly, prompting gasps from the audience. Chia continued, “Why?” The demise of Malaysian Airlines isn’t funny, is it? Some jokes don’t fall.

Flight MH370 was carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it went missing on March 8, 2014 and is believed to have crashed in the far southern Indian Ocean.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir said Chia’s act “showed a complete lack of sensitivity and empathy” towards Malaysians and the families of the victims.

“This video also clearly depicts behavior contrary to the values ​​of Asian countries that are known for their manners and morals,” he said in a statement.

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan took to Twitter on Thursday to apologize. He said he was appalled by Chia’s “horrendous statements” and that Chia does not speak on behalf of Singaporeans.

“We cherish our ties with family and friends in Malaysia, and are sorry for the offense and harm caused to all Malaysians,” he said.

Singapore officials said Chia was no longer a citizen. The Singapore Straits Times reported that she is now an American citizen. Following the backlash, the video appears to have been deleted from some Chia social media, but can still be found on some sites.

Chia joked that Malaysian planes couldn’t fly, prompting gasps from the audience. ‘For what? The demise of Malaysian Airlines isn’t funny, is it? Some jokes don’t land!’

A Malaysian social news portal, the World of Buzz, reported that Chia was defiant.

She had posted earlier on social media in response to criticism that “people take jokes too seriously,” he said. Chia added that “tragedy + time = comedy” and said the joke was okay because it had been quite a while since the incident, the site reported. His comments were subsequently inaccessible.

Scattered debris washing up on African beaches and Indian Ocean islands indicated that MH370 likely crashed in a remote part of the ocean.

But a government search by Australia, Malaysia and China failed to locate a location. And a second private search by US firm Ocean Infinity found no signs of a possible crash site.

According to Dreshare, Chia is known for her “witty, edgy humor” that often tackles topics such as “politics, gender and relationships.”