SINGAPORE, May 21 — In 2023, a Singapore-raised US comedian found herself at the centre of an international storm over a controversial joke about the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Jocelyn Chia, once a lawyer and now a stand-up comic known for her high-energy, bold routines, was branded “comedy’s bad girl” by Fox News and made headlines worldwide, including in The New York Times, CNN and the BBC.
The incident began when Comedy Cellar, a famous New York comedy club, posted an 89-second clip of Chia’s April 7, 2023, set to TikTok and Instagram on June 5. The clip included a joke referencing the mysterious 2014 disappearance of MH370.
Although the joke was part of a routine she had performed for over a year, playing on the nuanced rivalry between Singapore and Malaysia, the clip sparked fierce backlash.
Hate comments flooded in, Comedy Cellar’s website was hacked, and protesters rallied demanding an apology. Malaysia’s government even threatened her with an Interpol red notice.
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan publicly condemned the joke and apologised for Chia’s “horrendous comments,” emphasising that she “does not speak for Singaporeans.”
The fallout extended to Chia’s career: IBM, where she had been a regular broadcast host for two years, terminated her contract after a complaint from its Malaysian office, and a scheduled performance at another New York comedy venue was cancelled.
Despite the uproar, Chia stood her ground.
Speaking to The Straits Times, she said she “wasn’t trying to offend anybody. I was just doing my job.”
She defended the joke’s context and delivery, explaining, “It is all about context, intent and delivery.”
The Boston-born comic, who attended St Nicholas Girls’ School and National Junior College in Singapore, said she has no intention of apologising.
In hindsight, Chia admitted she should have addressed the backlash more quickly by clarifying her intent and explaining the New York comedy style — “hard-hitting, unapologetically bold punchlines” — to avoid misunderstandings.
Instead, she chose silence to protect her mental health.
“I was in Colorado doing a show and enjoying the mountains. I didn’t want to worry about what’s going on,” she recalled.
“I avoided reading online comments during that period.”
Drawing strength from US self-help guru Tony Robbins, Chia adopted the mantra: “This is happening for me, not to me.”
What initially seemed like a crisis transformed into an opportunity.
While some comedians from Singapore and Malaysia criticised her, her US peers praised her resilience.
One comic even complimented her ability to “jiu-jitsu a cancellation attempt and turn things to my favour.”
Her newfound notoriety led to a Fox News comedy panel spot, appearances on US radio and podcasts, and a six-week comedy residency in Japan in 2024.
Currently on an Asia tour with shows booked across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan, Chia plans to relocate to Barcelona in September to expand her international career, eyeing gigs in Switzerland, Poland, Germany, and Belgium.
“It’s been a long-held dream of mine to live in Europe, to experience a beach lifestyle,” she said.
Ironically, Chia reflected, “I’m grateful to Malaysia. This incident changed my life for the better.”
