The Jocelyn Chia controversy appears to escalate as Umno Youth is now urging Malaysians to assemble outside the US Embassy in protest against the former Singaporean comedian.
Chia had ridiculed Malaysians and made jokes about the MH370 tragedy during her recent stand-up comedy performance in New York.
During the party wing’s general assembly yesterday, Muhamad Akmal Saleh, the wing’s leader, stressed that they would not disregard Chia’s offensive comments. Saleh emphasized the importance of addressing the derogatory remarks made by the Singaporean-born artist.
“I have already ordered my Umno Youth executive councillors to make a police report on the matter. We also plan to gather in front of the US Embassy here tomorrow at about 2:30pm to submit a letter expressing our disapproval (towards Chia’s actions).
“If you are brave enough, we will see you at the embassy tomorrow,” Akmal said to rounds of cheers and applause from thousands of delegates present at the World Trade Centre here today.
On Wednesday, video clips of Chia’s show went viral on social media, triggering outrage among Malaysians who felt insulted by her use of crude language and her mocking portrayal of the MH370 disappearance.
Saleh clarified that the demonstration would be held at the US Embassy due to Chia not being a Singapore citizen anymore. Additionally, he called upon the Malaysian government to impose a ban on her reentry into Malaysian territory.
Since Chia’s comedy stint, ministers and representatives from both Malaysia and Singapore have stepped in to condemn her actions.
Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vanu Gopala Menon also apologized to Malaysians yesterday and revealed that she was no longer a Singapore citizen.
Malaysia’s Syed Saddiq also 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”.
Chia on the other hand has gone dark and appeared to delete all her social media accounts. She has yet to apologize for her jokes.
RELATED:
