Singapore comedian slammed for MH370 tragedy joke by Malaysian minister

Transport Minister Anthony Loke has criticised Singaporean comedian Jocelyn Chia for making light of the missing Malaysian flight MH370 tragedy in her act. Loke described Chia’s joke as “rude, insolent, and inhumane,” as the incident involved the loss of over 200 lives.

Following the controversy, which garnered negative reactions from various parties, Loke reached out to his Singaporean counterpart, S Iswaran. Iswaran also expressed his dismay, and Singapore has taken immediate steps to prevent the matter from escalating into an issue that could strain the relationship between the two countries.

Chia’s controversial jokes not only touched on the MH370 tragedy, which occurred on March 8, 2014, but also compared the progress between Malaysia and Singapore. In response, Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vanu Gopala Menon, issued a statement expressing regret and apology for the matter, criticising the joke for leaving a bad taste in the mouth.

Loke emphasised that while Chia may have considered her remarks to be a joke, there should be limits to humour and it should not exploit any tragedy. He urged that this incident serve as a lesson for all parties, including comedians in Malaysia. “We welcome stand-up comedians, but we mustn’t turn tragedy and national relations into a joke,” he said.