Jocelyn Chia recently expressed gratitude to Malaysians for inadvertently boosting her career following her controversial MH370 joke and insensitive remarks about Malaysia that went viral in 2023.
The comedian attended a recent event in Singapore, where she told The Straits Times that she has no plans to apologise for the jokes, which unexpectedly brought her international attention.
“It was not my intention to offend anyone. I was just doing my job. It’s all about context, intent, and delivery.”
Jocelyn acknowledged the wave of hate comments she received and shared that, for the sake of her mental health, she chose to remain silent and avoided reading them.
“I was in Colorado doing a show and enjoying the mountains. I didn’t want to worry about what was going on.”
Ironically, the backlash changed her life. What initially seemed like a crisis turned out to be a “blessing in disguise.” While she faced criticism from both Malaysia and Singapore, her career gained momentum in the United States.
Jocelyn began receiving invitations to appear on US radio shows and podcasts, secured a comedy panel spot on Fox News, and landed a six-week comedy residency in Japan in 2024. As of now, she has shows booked across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan.
“I’m grateful to Malaysia. This incident changed my life for the better,” she added.
The comedian is expected to relocate to Barcelona, Spain, in September this year, citing her long-held dream of living a beach lifestyle in Europe.
In case you missed it, Jocelyn’s remarks went viral in April 2023 when Comedy Cellar, a well-known New York comedy club, posted a clip of her routine referencing the MH370 tragedy and Malaysia. Jocelyn has since made it clear that she has no regrets about the jokes.
“It was part of a routine about the nuanced rivalry between Singapore and Malaysia that I had included in my live sets for more than a year.”
What do you think of Jocelyn’s take on this matter?
