Singapore-raised comic Jocelyn Chia says fallout from MH370 joke changed her life
SINGAPORE – Dubbed 'comedy's bad girl' by American TV news channel Fox News, she made headlines in international news outlets such as The New York Times, CNN and BBC after her stand-up joke about the ill-fated MH370 flight went viral in 2023.
Two years on, Singapore-raised American comic Jocelyn Chia is still trying to shake off the 'Malaysia Airlines joker' label.
The former lawyer, who is in her 40s, tells The Straits Times that the tasteless gag she made at New York's popular comedy club Comedy Cellar was not even new.
It was part of a routine about the nuanced rivalry between Singapore and Malaysia that she had included in her live sets for more than a year, says Chia, whose parents and younger siblings reside in Singapore.
Known for her sharp wit and high-energy routines, the New York-based comedienne's stand-up content typically revolves around her personal migration experiences, social observations and Singapore-United States cultural comparisons.
When Comedy Cellar and Chia posted a clip of an April 7, 2023 set – which included her making light of the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines' MH370 airplane – to TikTok and Instagram on June 5 that year, the 89-second video prompted an international backlash.
Chia received hate comments, Comedy Cellar's website was hacked, protesters demanded an apology, and she was threatened with an Interpol red notice by the Malaysian government. Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan weighed in and apologised for her 'horrendous comments' in a tweet, stressing that Chia 'does not speak for Singaporeans'.
The fallout saw Chia getting 'cancelled' by IBM. She had been a regular broadcast host for the American tech corporation for two years, but a complaint from its Malaysian office saw her contract terminated.
A show she was scheduled to perform at another New York comedy club was also axed.
But Chia – who is in town as the headline act for comedy show Gelato & Giggles at local restaurant-club Rasa on May 21 – says she has no regrets. She has not apologised for the joke and has no intention of doing so.
'I wasn't trying to offend anybody. I was just doing my job,' says the Boston-born bachelorette who attended St Nicholas Girls' School and National Junior College. 'It is all about context, intent and delivery.'
However, she concedes that in hindsight, she should have addressed the furore immediately by clarifying the joke's intent and explaining her New York-style comedy standards – that deliver hard-hitting, unapologetically bold punchlines – to clear up any misunderstandings.
Instead, she chose to keep silent and prioritised her mental health.
'I was in Colorado doing a show and enjoying the mountains. I didn't want to worry about what's going on,' says Chia, adding that she avoided reading online comments during that period.
Drawing inspiration from American self-help guru and best-selling author Tony Robbins, she viewed the controversy as an opportunity rather than a setback.
'This is happening for me, not to me' became her mantra.
While she was called out by some comedians from Singapore and Malaysia, she received new-found recognition and respect from her American peers.
She adds: 'One comic even praised my ability to 'jujitsu' a cancellation attempt and turn things to my favour.'
Chia was invited to be a panellist on a comedy segment on Fox News and went on American radio and podcast shows. She was also offered a six-week comedy residency in Japan in 2024 and is now on her Asia tour, where she is booked for shows in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan.
She will be relocating to Barcelona in September to embark on her international comedy career, as Europe beckons with gigs in Switzerland, Poland, Germany and Belgium.
'It's been a long-held dream of mine to live in Europe, to experience a beach lifestyle,' says Chia.
'It's ironic, but I'm grateful to Malaysia. This incident changed my life for the better.'
Book It/Gelato & Giggles
Where: Rasa, 02-01/02 Republic Plaza Tower 1, 9 Raffles Place
When: May 21, 8pm
Admission: $35 (with one standard drink), $40 (with one standard drink and a scoop of gelato)
Info: Go to yourtessera.com/e/gelatoandgiggles
Joanne Soh is a lifestyle correspondent at The Straits Times, with a special interest in entertainment and pop culture.
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
14 minutes ago
- CNA
Heritage zi char eatery Ka-Soh closing final outlet, third-generation co-owner plans to sell fish soup from home
History-steeped Cantonese-style zi char (cooked to order home-style dishes) brand Ka-Soh is shuttering its final outlet at Greenwood Avenue on Sep 28, 2025, marking its 85-year run with a bittersweet end. The last-standing 60-seater run by third-generation owner Cedric Tang, 40, and his brother Gareth Tang, 42, opened in January 2020, just before the pandemic hit. It's been a tough few years: Sister eatery Swee Kee Eating House closed in 2021, after a 26-year run on Amoy Street, when CBD footfall dried up during the pandemic. Their Bib Gourmand -awarded Outram outlet of Ka-Soh shuttered in 2021. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS FROM A PUSHCART IN 1939 Known for its Cantonese-style fish soup and smoky san lao hor fun, the iconic brand started back in 1939, when founder Tang Kwong Swee sold fish head noodles from a humble pushcart at Great World Amusement Park. As business grew, he opened Swee Kee Eating House along Chin Chew Street (famously dubbed Tofu Street back then), eventually pioneering one of the first Cantonese-style zi char restaurants in Singapore that was open till late at night. When the business relocated to Amoy Street in 1997, it was officially renamed Swee Kee (Ka-Soh) Fish Head Noodle House – a nod to the name its patrons had long been using. Later, Cedric Tang's father adopted "Ka-Soh" as the main brand, since it had become the more memorable identity of the restaurant. ONCE COUNTED STARS LIKE JACKY CHEUNG, ANDY LAU, AARON KWOK AS CUSTOMERS By the '80s and '90s, Swee Kee was drawing large crowds – including local and international celebs like Hong Kong's Four Heavenly Kings: Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, and Leon Lai, who'd drop by after their concerts in Singapore. The queues reportedly stretched for two hours back then. WHO IS KA-SOH? The original brand name, Swee Kee, was retained for decades, but regulars began informally referring to the restaurant as 'Ka Soh's place' in the '80s and '90s, after a feisty front-of-house waitress nicknamed 'Ka Soh' (Cantonese for daughter-in-law), who famously scolded diners for taking too long to order. Though not part of the family, she was referred to as 'Ka Soh' because the restaurant had hired her mother-in-law, and regulars affectionately began calling her that. Eventually, Ka-Soh had its own spin-off brand, even earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand nod in 2016 for its Outram outlet. Its USP: House-made gravies, no-MSG broths and fish soup simmered for hours using snakehead bones for its signature milky richness. With its final-standing outlet at Greenwood Avenue about to serve its final plate, third-generation owner Cedric Tang spoke to about why Ka-Soh is finally calling it a day. 'BEING A HERITAGE BRAND DOESN'T PAY THE BILLS' 'We're not closing because business is bad,' Cedric clarified. 'We just don't want to keep playing the game.' That 'game' refers to a tough F&B climate where rising costs, tight manpower, and customer expectations often work against old-school operators. 'Coffee shop fish soup is S$5, ours is S$8 or S$9. But when coffee shop prices rose over the years, we didn't follow suit – and we also didn't shrink our portions,' Cedric said. That commitment to quality came at a cost: 'People still think zi char food should be cheap.' He added that any attempt to adjust pricing often leads to backlash. 'If we raise our prices even slightly, people will complain. But if we reduce the portion size or change the recipe, they'll also complain. It's very hard to win.' RENT RAISED FROM S$9,000 TO S$12,000 When Ka-Soh first opened at Greenwood in 2020, monthly rent was S$9,000 (S$7,000). It increased to S$12,000 after three years – and would have jumped to S$15,000 had they chosen to stay on with a new lease. But he and his brother had already decided to bow out. 'Even at S$12,000, it's hard to operate,' he admitted. And despite Ka-Soh's long-standing reputation, Cedric said being well-known isn't enough. 'Being a heritage brand doesn't pay the bills,' he said candidly. PROFITABLE BUT NOT ENOUGH 'We built it up from zero,' he said. 'It took a while to win over a new customer base in the residential area, but even loyal customers weren't enough to outweigh challenges like staff shortages and rising costs,' said Cedric about their five-year-old Greenwood outlet. The brothers worked almost daily, covering gaps when staff were on MC or leave. Cedric even picked up kitchen duties to help. 'Being hands-on saved us on manpower, but it's not sustainable long-term.' Although Greenwood was profitable enough to cover costs and even supported their now-defunct Outram outlet during COVID-19, the margins weren't great. 'A lot of our earnings went into paying off bank loans,' Cedric shared. 'We weren't losing money, but we weren't really earning either.' F&B LANDSCAPE CHANGED FOR THE WORSE & KA-SOH DOESN'T WANT TO STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP The landscape has shifted since Ka-Soh's heyday. Cedric believes that the sheer number of eateries popping up in Singapore is one of the key reasons small restaurants like his are struggling. He points to Amoy Street as a clear example of over-competition: 'When we moved there, there were five restaurants. Now there are 80 to 100.'Manpower is an issue as well. 'If there are 10 restaurants but only a few locals willing to work in F&B, it becomes impossible to hire enough staff to meet your quota,' he said. "YOU MIGHT BREAK EVEN IN TWO YEARS, JUST AS YOUR LANDLORD RAISES YOUR RENT BY 30 PER CENT" The cost of opening a new restaurant today? 'At least S$150,000 to S$200,000, and that's for basic fittings,' said Cedric. 'You might break even in two years, just as your lease ends and the landlord raises your rent by 30 per cent.' They've considered franchising the brand and taking on investors, but there's a catch. 'Our concept isn't easily replicable,' he said. 'We do everything in-house – from soup stocks to gravies to chilli. That's what gives our hor fun its flavour. But investors want fast ROI (return on investment) and scalable concepts.' BROTHERS LEFT STABLE CORPORATE JOBS TO JOIN FAMILY BUSINESS Still, the Tang brothers persevered. The duo, who both joined the family business full-time seven years ago, left stable and high-paying corporate jobs in PR and IT, respectively, to keep the family legacy alive when their late father, second-generation owner Tang Tat Cheong, fell ill. 'The biggest sacrifice was leaving that stability for something filled with uncertainties,' Cedric shared. 'But we don't have any regrets. We've done and given our best.' In fact, their proudest moment came during the COVID-19 period. 'That was Gareth's and my greatest achievement,' Tang said. Leveraging Gareth's IT programming background and Cedric's PR expertise, the brothers built their own e-commerce ordering site and created a delivery system using taxi and private hire drivers. 'When the lockdown was announced, I already had a list of drivers ready to be activated. My first thought was to help them earn an income during a difficult time.' 'KA-SOH WAS INTENDED TO BE PASSED DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION' While Cedric and his siblings are single, he said: 'Gareth and I have always managed the business in such a way that it was always intended to continue or be passed down to the next generation." Which is why closing this final chapter has been particularly emotional. When asked if the siblings are heartbroken about the legacy ending, Cedric was thoughtful. 'Of course, it's not easy. But we know we gave it everything we had.' Beyond the business, Cedric has also faced personal battles over the years. He previously shared in a CNA article about how his mental health had been affected. He told 'My major depressive disorder stemmed from my personal life, but at that time I was essentially working three jobs,' he said. 'I was trying to grow a PR agency with a friend, freelancing in PR and helping out with the family restaurant.' Around his mid-30s, Cedric experienced the devastating loss of a loved one he had envisioned a future with. 'I didn't know how to handle the grief, so I just kept working and pushed myself past the breaking point. I broke mentally because of how great the grief was and the toll of juggling three full-time jobs." MENTAL HEALTH A BIG ISSUE IN F&B, ESPECIALLY AMONG CHEFS He spent three years recovering on his own, a path he doesn't recommend. 'Ironically, as mentally draining as the F&B industry can be, where mental health is a big issue, especially among chefs – it was going back into the family business full-time after I learned to cope that probably helped me.' Cedric finally sought professional help and was cleared of clinical depression by a psychiatrist in early 2023. 'Mental health is now a big priority for me. I think it's important to do something you actually enjoy.' Interestingly enough, that still means working in F&B for him. He said he has no plans to return to his former corporate job. 'PR has changed a lot, with AI, influencer engagement, content creation, it's a completely different game now. These days, his role at Ka-Soh ranges from kitchen hand to marketing lead. 'I do everything except finance,' he said with a laugh. 'I'm usually in the kitchen helping to push out orders, but I also help in the front if it's too busy. I even do the dishwashing sometimes – my TikToks show that side of the business too.' He also manages Ka-Soh's social media accounts and has been transparent about the behind-the-scenes grind of running a small F&B outlet. 'It's not glamorous.' PIVOTING TO HOME-BASED BUSINESS Still, not all is lost for the heritage brand. Cedric is currently working on a home-based business that will keep the Ka-Soh name alive in a small way. 'I'll be selling our Cantonese-style fish soup online, so people can cook it at home,' he shared. It will be based in his Punggol flat. And after the restaurant closes, he also plans to explore starting a hawker stall. 'During the pandemic, our no-MSG, no-salt, no-sugar soups were popular, especially among families with kids or elderly folks. So I plan to sell our signature soups frozen, from my own home,' he said. 'It won't be huge – I'm using a residential stove, so production will be limited.' He has spent the past year learning to cook by himself – experimenting with various recipes, including Ka-Soh's signature fish soup. 'I never used to cook. I used to say, 'I don't know how to cook.' But I've been watching my chefs every day for years. I started trying things out at home like black bean bitter gourd, spring onion beef, even cereal chicken.' MIGHT OPEN HAWKER STALL IN FUTURE He's also toying with the idea of starting a hawker stall after the restaurant closes. While nothing is set in stone, Cedric said he's staying in F&B – at least for the short term – to see if there's still a way to keep the brand going. 'The current climate is unpredictable, so everything's still in the early stages of planning and learning,' he explained. Trading a team of chefs in a restaurant for the solo grind of hawker life might seem like a big change, but he's unfazed. 'If I go out and work for someone else, I'll probably be putting in the same number of hours. So I'm willing to try doing it under my own brand,' he said. He's also rediscovered something along the way: His love for cooking. 'When I was young, I'd always made pancakes and cooked [any old how],' he laughed. 'This year, I started experimenting more at home and I've been making dinner regularly.' Recently, he even mustered the courage to step behind the restaurant's wok station. 'I literally begged my chefs to teach me the basics of cooking in a restaurant kitchen,' he said. 'I've posted a couple of TikToks,' he added. 'But yeah, I guess you could say I've rediscovered my love for cooking.' He laughed: 'Now I can say I know how to cook, but I still won't call myself a chef. I'm just a home cook.' ONLY ONE SIBLING WILL REMAIN IN F&B, THE REST RETURN TO CORPORATE JOBS One of Cedric's proudest achievements? Perfecting Ka-Soh's concentrated fish soup. 'I've been testing the recipe every week. It takes hours and a lot of patience. I tried different fish bones, boiling methods, and even learned how to make pork lard properly after burning my first batch.' The result is a fish soup that's creamy, rich and unmistakably Cantonese. 'Our soup is boiled for at least three hours with a lot of bones. Some say it's too fishy, but that's because it's so concentrated. It's not diluted.' While Cedric is pivoting to small-batch soup production, his siblings are also moving on to new chapters. His sister, who was previously involved in the business, now works as a veterinary technician. His brother plans to return to programming and is seeking a more stable role in IT after previously running his own e-commerce infrastructure company. TRY THESE DISHES BEFORE THEY'RE GONE... Ka-Soh's last day of operations is Sep 28. Till then, you can still head down to Greenwood Avenue to tuck into some of the eatery's signature dishes: Prawn Paste Chicken, S$16 Sliced Fish Hor Fun in Black Bean Sauce, S$9 San Lao Hor Fun, S$10 Sliced Fish Noodle Soup, S$9 Spare Pork Ribs, S$20 Ka-Soh's last day of operation is on Sep 28 2025. Located at 22 Greenwood Ave, Singapore 289218. Open Tue to Sun, 11.30 am–2 pm; 5.30–9 pm. Tel: 8754 7481. More info via Instagram.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
‘The riskier it is, the more amazed people are': Can you do the Nicki Minaj TikTok challenge?
NEW YORK – If you have a few seconds, social media has a new exercise for you to try. First, do a single-legged squat and cross the other leg over. Then try that in the highest pair of heels you can find. Once you have that figured out, do the same pose, in those heels, on top of two cooking pots stacked on the kitchen counter – or on top of the monkey bars at a playground jungle gym or on top of a single soda can. The pretzel-like pose is called the Nicki Minaj because – in what feels like ancient history by social media standards – the Trinidadian rapper and singer did it beside a swimming pool in the music video for her 2013 track High School. A clip from that video has resurfaced on TikTok in the past week, seemingly at random, and has taken on a life of its own as users have tried to recreate the pose in increasingly precarious locations, while challenging one another to come up with more difficult versions. The hashtag #nickiminajchallenge has been viewed more than 1.3 billion times. Rapper Nicki Minaj at the 2025 Met Gala, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, on May 5. PHOTO: AFP And the challenge has drawn celebrity participants, such as American comedian Christina Kirkman (balancing on a cooking pot and a can of soup) and American singer Ciara (balancing on a stack of dumbbells). Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after LTA tests Singapore MRT platform screen doors at 15 underground stations to undergo renewal Singapore 'Medium risk' of severe haze as higher agricultural prices drive deforestation: S'pore researchers Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose Singapore Police statements by doctor in fake vaccine case involving Iris Koh allowed in court: Judge Singapore Authorities say access to Changi intertidal areas unaffected by reclamation, in response to petition Singapore No change to SIA flights between S'pore and Cambodia, S'pore and Thailand, amid border dispute Singapore Not feasible for S'pore to avoid net‑zero; all options to cut energy emissions on table: Tan See Leng 'The idea is, how could we make this tougher? How could we make this more tricky?' said Ms Francesca Pagan, 27, who posted a video of herself doing the Nicki on top of three books, one cooking pot and an aluminium can while balancing a book on her head. 'The riskier it is, the more amazed people are.' It is also essential to look calm and collected while doing the pose. Having done gymnastics and cheerleading as a kid certainly helped, Ms Pagan added. 'I'm not going to say I recommend everyone do it because that's just in bad faith,' she said. 'I think you have to have a certain level of confidence in your ability to balance.' Some commenters questioned whether her version of the pose was real, Ms Pagan said, because of its difficulty. So, she posted bloopers showing her losing her balance and the book falling off her head. She then posted a second video of the Nicki, in which she posed on top of even more stacked pots. For some, the challenge has become a way to showcase their businesses or passions. A video posted on Fenty Beauty's account, for example, features a woman doing the Nicki on top of a stack of the cosmetic brand's products in a Sephora store. Mothers shown perched atop a stack of toys, surrounded by their tumbling children, seem to project uncanny calmness amid the chaos of parenting. Professional circus artist Brianna Kalisch received a message from her friend a few days ago. 'He was like, 'You should do this,'' she said. Until participating in the challenge, TikTok videos of her bottle walking and balancing feats, which had once been flagged as 'dangerous activities', had not gained much traction on the platform, Ms Kalisch said. But she thought she would give the Nicki a shot anyway. She created a pyramid of 12 champagne bottles, climbed on top, and then assumed the pose. Her sister handed her another bottle that she placed on her head. In two days, the video received more than two million views. 'I actually tried juggling,' Ms Kalisch said, 'but my knees were in the way. It didn't work.' NYTIMES
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Star Wars creator George Lucas brings the force to Comic-Con in historic first visit
Find out what's new on ST website and app. US film-maker George Lucas arrives for the sneak peek of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel at Comic-Con in San Diego, California, on July 27. SAN DIEGO – Comic-Con fans pulled out their lightsabers on July 27 to welcome Star Wars (1977 to present) creator George Lucas to the prominent pop culture convention for the very first time. Attendees lined up for hours to grab a seat inside the 6,500-person capacity venue, San Diego Convention Center, in San Diego, California, to see the legendary American director behind the Indiana Jones (1981 to 2023) franchise speak at the event on its final day. Comic-Con, which draws some 130,000 attendees, has become an important platform for movie studios and their stars to showcase the latest film and television offerings, especially those with a genre fan base. 'We've been waiting five decades for this,' said panel moderator and American actress-rapper Queen Latifah, who oversaw the discussion by Lucas and other film-makers. Instead of discussing his film works, however, he graced the convention to preview his latest project, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art – opening in Los Angeles in 2026 – which he co-founded with his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson. An aerial view shows construction continuing at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California, on June 2. PHOTO: AFP A first-of-its-kind institution dedicated to illustrated storytelling across time, cultures and media, the almost 4.5ha campus in Exposition Park will include a green space and a 300,000 sq ft building with galleries, two theatres, a library, restaurant, cafe, and retail and community spaces. 'I've been collecting art since I was in college,' Lucas, 81, told the crowd, adding that he has amassed tens of thousands of pieces in his collection. 'I've been doing this for 50 years now, and then it occurred to me that what am I going to do with it all because I refuse to sell it.' 'I could never do that, it's not what I think art is – I think it's more about an emotional connection,' he said. In his description of the museum, Lucas said the institution will feature a blend of works. They include illustrations by Normal Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith and N.C. Wyeth; artworks by Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White and Robert Colescott; and pieces by cartoonists and artists like Winsor McCay, Frank Frazetta and Jack Kirby. 'This is sort of a temple to the people's art,' he said in summation. The museum, housed in a sleek, curved building, will also feature items from Lucas's films and other exclusive pieces. For the Star Wars mastermind, the space aims to be a tribute to the importance of narrative art. 'When you're born, the baseline is fear. And as you go through life, you're curious about things, but you're especially curious about things you don't understand, and therefore that's a threat to you. 'And as a result, you make up stories to make it feel good,' he continued. 'Science fiction is a myth... but we've made it real because of science-fiction books and art.' Among the other members of the panel were Oscar-winning Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and American production designer Doug Chiang, who shaped the aesthetic of the Star Wars universe for decades. 'What's remarkable about George is that he leads from the heart, and this museum is him,' Chiang said. Del Toro, who will release his latest film Frankenstein in November, said many of the museum's pieces will celebrate freedom of speech. US film-maker George Lucas (left) speaks as Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro looks on during the sneak peek of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art panel at Comic-Con in San Diego, California, on July 27. PHOTO: AFP 'We are in a critical moment in which one of the things they like to disappear is the past, and this is memorialising a popular, vociferous, expressive and eloquent moment in our visual past that belongs to all of us,' Del Toro said. He also described comics as a medium with 'a lot of social conscience' and joked that comic artists 'were the first one to punch a Nazi' in their works. 'What a panel,' gushed attendee Jesse Goldwater, who travelled to San Diego from Los Angeles. 'They are the embodiment of Comic-Con itself – without them, Comic-Con wouldn't exist.' AFP/REUTERS
