A Jakarta court sent him to jail for five months for using shabu-shabu, a local term for the drug crystal methamphetamine. That was eight years ago.

'I've paid a high price,' said Doyok, who at 53 now tries to make both ends meet by lecturing on the perils of drug use instead of telling jokes.

Read Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja's full story in Saturday's edition of the The Straits Times.