Jocelyn Chia says Interpol involvement will make her more famous

KUALA LUMPUR: Jocelyn Chia has expressed her disbelief at the response from Malaysian authorities regarding her joke about the missing flight MH370, stating that it has been blown out of proportion.

During an interview with BBC News, Chia who is based in New York, clarified that her intention was not to mock the tragedy or its victims, but rather to find humor within the context of tragedy itself.

The joke, which gained significant traction in a viral video, referenced Malaysian jets' inability to fly, alluding to the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared in 2014.

The former lawyer turned comedian emphasized that her joke was "taken out of context when consumed on social media".

"I have performed this routine hundreds of times and even did a shorter version in Singapore. It always cracks the audience up. I wouldn't have used it again if it didn't work," she explained.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani on Tuesday (June 13) announced the Royal Malaysia Police intention to involve Interpol in locating Chia and investigating her for incitement and offensive online content, a move she dismissed as "ridiculous."

However, Interpol clarified that it had not received any request for assistance in the case from Malaysian authorities.

The 90-second viral clip, extracted from her performance at Manhattan's Comedy Cellar on April 7, sparked a strong reaction in Malaysia and was subsequently removed by TikTok due to a violation of their hate speech guidelines.

ALSO READ - Jocelyn Chia's social media accounts disabled, Singaporeans find her jokes not funny