Concerns over video were on ‘3R issues’: Malaysian minister on Sharul Channa’s cancelled show

SINGAPORE - The police reports made against comedienne Sharul Channa may have been over an old video, but it concerned race, religion and royalty (3R) issues, said a Malaysian minister on May 20.

The Malaysian agency overseeing performances by foreigners took that into account when it decided to cancel the Singaporean’s permit to perform, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

Media reports earlier said the permit was cancelled two days before Channa was slated to perform her Just Joking! stand-up show at PJ Live Arts theatre in Petaling Jaya on May 18.

“I have been made to understand that the video uploaded to promote the performance was uploaded recently and, as a result of the video, several police reports were lodged, and those reports indicated that it was related to 3R issues,” Mr Fahmi was quoted as saying by Malaysian media.

“That may be an old video, but the police reports are concerning 3R issues. So Puspal received that information and made a decision based on that scenario,” he added, referring to the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes.

When contacted, Channa said the show’s cancellation was a pity, and she thanked Malaysian fans for their support.

“I heard some people were coming from Penang for the show,” she said, adding that she also received encouraging messages on social media.

The stand-up comedienne told The Straits Times that she will be focusing on her upcoming shows in Singapore and India.

The event organiser of the Malaysia show had earlier said it had received “all necessary permits and approvals” a week before starting ticket sales.

It appealed unsuccessfully against the decision to cancel Channa’s show after the public made police reports, referencing the comedienne’s content on Comedy Central Asia, which had been online “for a few years”.

Channa said on Instagram on May 18 that the joke which prompted the Malaysian authorities to cancel her show was “approved by the Malaysian censors in 2018 for Malaysian television channel Unify”, and was recorded in Malaysia.

Several comedians have rallied behind Channa after news broke about her cancelled show.

“I can already anticipate the jibes that will come our way from Singaporean comics,” Malaysian actor and comedian Douglas Lim was quoted as saying in an article by Malaysian media outlet New Straits Times.

“But from what I know of this case, the authorities cancelled the show because there were existing reports made against the comedian, so in a way, they had to act.”

Lim added that cancelling a show at the last minute affects not just the comedian, but also the producer, the venue and the ticketing agent.

“It would make other entertainers very wary of performing in Malaysia,” he said.