Officials in Malaysia have contacted Interpol to track down an American comedian over a joke related to the 2014 disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines flight, according to multiple reports.
Jocelyn Chia, a U.S. national who grew up in Singapore, is under investigation by Malaysian authorities after performing a comedy routine in April at famed New York City venue The Comedy Cellar, CBS News reported. In her routine, Chia told the audience that the city-state of Singapore, which was briefly part of Malaysia after the end of British colonial rule, is a “first-world country,” while Malaysia’s “airplanes cannot fly,” the outlet continued.
Malaysian police said they asked Interpol to help track down U.S. comedian Jocelyn Chia after she made a joke about the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. https://t.co/y8wVFU7Z6u
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 15, 2023
Malaysia Airlines MH370 disappeared without a trace in March 2014, a despite a multi-year search for the plane, the main fuselage was never found and all 239 people aboard were presumed dead. (RELATED: Search For MH370 Finds No Answers To One Of The World’s Biggest Aviation Mysteries)
Singapore’s ambassador to Malaysia, Vanu Gopala Menon, denounced the routine, stating that Chia did not speak for Singaporeans. “The Singapore Government does not condone words or actions that cause harm or hurt to others,” he stated, according to the New Straits Times. Menon further stressed that Chia was “no longer Singaporean” and that she did not “in any way reflect our views,” the outlet stated.
“I sincerely apologise to all Malaysians for her hurtful remarks,” Menon continued.
Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s foreign minister, also condemned Chia’s statements as “horrendous” and apologized for “hurt caused to all Malaysians” over the comedian’s remarks, CBS News reported.
Malaysian National Police Chief Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani reportedly announced on June 13 that an application would be filed with Interpol on Wednesday to obtain Chia’s “full identity” and “latest location,” BBC News reported. Chia is reportedly being investigated under public mischief laws in Malaysia which carry a prison term of up to two years, CBS News reported.
Though Interpol has not indicated whether they will act on the request from Malaysian officials, BBC News reported that the international police network can issue a “Red Notice” which requests law enforcement officials in member countries to locate and provisionally arrest suspects facing a criminal prosecution prior to their extradition.
Chia told CNN that her joke was taken out of context. “I do stand by my joke but with some caveat – I stand by it in its entirety, when viewed in a comedy club. Upon reflection I do see that having this as a clip that gets viewed out of a comedy club context was risky,” she said.