KUALA LUMPUR: Comedian Harith Iskandar said that comedy mirrors societal issues, and might render seemingly harmless statements controversial at a later time.
He said in a news report today that the authorities should have a better understanding of comedy by looking at the context in which comedians based their jokes on.
"Even I had to stop doing certain comedic routines when the times changed. It is all about context in the moment," he said.
Harith was commenting on the last-minute cancellation of a scheduled performance by Singaporean comedienne Sharul Channa following police reports on a video clip of a stand-up routine from 2018 which allegedly touched on a 3R (religion, royalty and race) issue.
The video in question was a snippet from Comedy Central: Stand Up Asia 2 which showed Sharul talking about the Malaysian authorities sending "content police" to ensure that her material did not touch on alcohol or dogs.
Harith said that while he respected the need for maintaining harmony and order, scrapping Sharul's performance was "worrying".
He called for dialogue on the need to balance creative freedom and respect for cultural sensitivities.
Harith said that instead of penalising artistes for their past work, the authorities should establish clear guidelines and foster an environment where comedians can understand current sensitivities without fear of repercussion.
Petaling Jaya Member of Parliament Lee Chean Chung earlier said that the cancellation of the Singaporean comedienne's show would jeopardise the government's plans to make the Klang Valley a leading entertainment hub.
