PETALING JAYA – The Malaysian police are asking Interpol to help them track down comedian Jocelyn Chia.

Bernama quoted Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani as saying that an “application” would be filed with Interpol to get Chia’s “full identity” and “latest location”.

No other details were provided.

Chia, who was born in the United States and raised in Singapore, made light of the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people on board during an April 7 stand-up comedy show in New York.

She also poked fun at the rivalry between Singapore and Malaysia.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, an Interpol spokesman said the organisation has not received a request involving Chia.

He said: “If any request is made, it must be compliant with Interpol’s Constitution, which forbids any activities which are religious, racial, military or political in nature.”

Similarly, he added, any request in relation to offences related to freedom of expression would also be assessed in view of the possible application of international human rights standards according to Interpol’s Constitution.

In an 89-second video clip of her set posted on Instagram, she said: “My country, Singapore, after we gained independence from the British, we were a struggling little nation. In order to survive, we formed a union with a larger, more powerful country, Malaysia.”

She added: “When my prime minister went on TV to announce that you guys had dumped us, he cried because he thought we were not going to survive without you.”

Chia, who is still a US citizen, then went on to say: “But then, 40 years later, we became a First World country.

“And you guys? Malaysia, what are you now? Still a developing country.”

She added: “Now, Malaysia, you all are trying to come around, like, ‘Hey Singapore, you’re looking good lah.’ And we’re like, ‘I know, but why haven’t you visited me in 40 years?’”

“And (Malaysia’s) like, ‘Yeah I tried, but you know, my aeroplanes cannot fly’,” she said, to laughter and audible gasps from her audience.

She added: “Why, Malaysia Airlines going missing not funny, huh? Some jokes don’t land.”

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Chia, a lawyer turned comedian, said she has performed her routine “more than a hundred times” for about a year and a half already, without any issue.

But when segments of it were taken out, condensed into a short clip and posted on social media, some of the necessary context went missing, she said.

“I do stand by my joke, but with some caveat. I stand by its entirety, when viewed in a comedy club,” she told CNN, adding: “Upon reflection, I do see that having this as a clip that gets viewed out of a comedy club context was risky.”

Singaporeans have long had a friendly rivalry with Malaysia, and it was what the joke was based on, she said, adding that she holds no grudge against Malaysia.

“It is also a common culture for comedians to ‘roast’ their live audience,” she added.

She said Malaysians who are in her audience often come up to her after her shows to tell her that they love her gig, and that “they clearly didn’t take offence”. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK