Malaysian Government Asks Interpol To Arrest An American Comedian Over Her Airline Crash Joke
The government of Malaysia isn't too concerned about free speech. It may be a tourist destination, but it's still subservient to a ruling class that likely can thank inbreeding for its current place at the top of the heap.
Because it's still ruled by people who've never been elected to their positions, those with the proper bloodlines have instituted laws to ensure they or the nation they preside over won't be criticized too heavily by citizens.
The government obviously believes shutting people up shouldn't just apply to citizens, though. The operative term is lese magiste." Insulting rulers is considered a criminal offense, if not actually a form of treason. And this law applies even if the insult arrives from oblique angles from anywhere else in the world.
It's a fucked up bundle of laws. And that has allowed the Malaysian government to pursue considerably dubious censorship efforts, like going after Spotify because a user-generated playlist enjoyed by Malaysian citizens supposedly insulted the queen."
This brings us to the current insanity being perpetrated by the Malaysian government - one that views criticism of anything Malaysian-related as potential treason. The Bermuda Triangle of our time was the crash of Malaysian Airlines flight 370. The plane simply disappeared, despite passengers and employees presumably carrying smartphones capable of generating location data (if nothing else), if not actually putting them in touch with loved ones as it became evident the plane was doomed.
This mysterious crash (and even more mysterious disappearance) dates back nearly a decade. The plane crash occurred March 8, 2014. Somehow, the Malaysian government feels it's too soon to start joking about a Malaysian airlines plane crash. Inexplicably, the government has issued an Interpol notice asking all Interpol members (which includes the United States) to pick up an American comedian for telling jokes she's been telling for years about the MH370 crash. The BBC was the first to report on this incredibly disturbing development.
Jocelyn Chia, a US national who grew up in Singapore, is being investigated under Malaysian laws on incitement and offensive online content, police say.
Her joke, posted online last week, prompted an official protest from Malaysia and an apology from Singapore.
[...]
On Tuesday Malaysian national police chief Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said an application would be filed with Interpol on Wednesday to get Ms Chia's full identity" and latest location.
While Interpol may be integral to capturing criminals engaging in international crimes, its involvement in this is unnecessary for several reasons.
First off, Ms. Chia's full identity" isn't a secret. She's an American comedian who relies on being known by her name to book appearances and ensure fans of her work know where they can watch her perform. She has made no effort to obscure her identity because there's no reason she would need to.
As for her latest location," fuck Malaysia. It's none of its business.
Finally, if the government of Malaysia is so offended by this joke, maybe it should have taken action years ago when Chia first started telling it. It's been part of her set for years. The bit - written by the Singapore resident - says Singapore is a first world country while Malaysia is still a developing" country because (as the joke goes) Malaysia's planes can't actually fly.
Tasteless. Sure, maybe a little. Too soon? Eye of the beholder. A criminal offense under Malaysian law? Yeah, probably, but only because Malaysian laws seek to protect someone who was born into their position.
The condemnation of Chia's statements" is exceedingly ridiculous. Government officials claim this years-old joke is horrendous." But just because these officials aren't laughing doesn't mean it should be an offense for which Chia can be extradited and tried by a Malaysian criminal court.
Malaysian taxpayers should be outraged. And they probably are. But what can they do? There's a queen sitting on top of the part of the government that's actually elected. The bootlicker hierarchy is a mess. Public servants serve the queen, rather than the public. The public is expected to respect both levels of government, even when the elected level engages in performative outrage on behalf of someone who likely never would have heard about this supposed insult if they weren't being catered to by a bunch of vacuous subservients.
It caused an uproar on social media, followed by condemnations by top Malaysian officials including the foreign minister.
I am appalled by her horrendous statements," Singapore's foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan tweeted last week.
We treasure our ties with family and friends in Malaysia, and are sorry for the offence and hurt caused to all Malaysians."
Whatever. Get over it. It's a joke. It's not a great joke and it errs on the side of tastelessness, but it is obviously a joke.
Hopefully, Interpol participants will send this request straight to the shredder. Interpol is not the comedy police. And it's not an extraterritorial collection of stooges obliged to respond every time some queen or their yes men feel ways about stuff. Chia should have nothing to fear from this stupidity. But she stands to gain everything from the Malaysian government's insistence in making her a household name.