‘One wrong step': Malaysia's careful comedians lament narrowing space for laughter
A joke about ham, a death threat and a wave of manufactured outrage.
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Malaysia 's comedians say the nation is galloping into a cancel-culture that will soon push satire and social commentary off the stage – and the political classes share the blame.
In the latest eruption of outcry, it was the turn of stand-up comedy pioneer Harith Iskander to face the whiplash of Malaysia's increasingly censorious
social media
Harith, a 58-year-old Muslim from southern Johor state who is considered the 'godfather' of Malaysian stand-up comedy, was hauled up by police and religious authorities for questioning last month after making a joke about ham on
Facebook
In a January 18 post, he jokingly suggested that the word 'ham' in the name of an iced coffee drink – ham sap kopi – could 'lead me down the wrong path in so many ways'.
Malaysian stand-up comedy pioneer Harith Iskander found himself in hot water over a joke about ham. Facebook/Harith Iskander
The joke riffed on a recent controversy over 'ham' sandwiches for sale with fake halal certification at a popular convenience store. Pork is haram – prohibited – under Islamic customs and critics were swift to detect an apparent insult to Islam.
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