The brouhaha over Singapore-born Jocelyn Chia has not died and seems to be getting louder each day.
ICMYI, Chia landed in hot water with Singaporeans and Malaysians recently, for joking about the MH370 tragedy in a comedy skit at the Comedy Cellar in New York.
This time, it seems like the authorities are paying closer attention to the matter.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani has disclosed that the Royal Malaysia Police will be lodging an application with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to secure Chia’s identity and present whereabouts.
“In addition, the PDRM has also made a copy of the transcript of the suspect’s speech in the video (in which Chia joked about MH370),” he told Harian Metro today.
In addition, it was revealed that the 41-year-old comedian, who remains steadfast in her defense of the performance, is under investigation by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), as disclosed by him.
In her conversation with CNN regarding the controversy stirred by a video excerpt of her performance at a comedy club in Manhattan, Chia acknowledged that, upon careful consideration, she now recognizes the potential risk associated with a clip being viewed outside the context of a comedy club.
Furthermore, she mentioned that she had performed her routine on numerous occasions, exceeding a hundred times, before that specific joke was condensed into a short clip for social media, resulting in the omission of some essential context.
Additionally, Chia expressed no ill will towards Malaysia and emphasized that it is common for comedians to jest about their live audience.
While Chia maintains her stance on the joke – when it is observed within the comedy club – according to her chat with CNN, politicians in Malaysia and Singapore have weighed in on her actions.
Figures from Malaysia and Singapore have come out to express their unhappiness with her comments and have condemned her actions.
Malaysia’s Syed Saddiq spoke up about the issue on Twitter, saying that “turning a tragedy into a source of entertainment is just in bad taste.”
Responding to his tweet is also Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan who stated that he was appalled by Chia’s “horrendous statements”.
Given her status as a naturalized US citizen, it is unclear how the case with Interpol will escalate.
