A Malaysian comedian best known for mocking Western chefs has had his Chinese social media account suspended after making jokes about China.
Nigel Ng, who uses the name Uncle Roger, is the latest comedian to feel the consequences of jokes that could be perceived as reflecting negatively on China under increasingly intense censorship and rising nationalism.
Last week, a Chinese comedian came under police investigation for a joke about stray dogs.
He posted a video clip last Thursday from an upcoming stand-up comedy special in which he pokes fun at Chinese surveillance and Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.
The video shows Ng interacting with someone in the audience who says he is from Guangzhou, a metropolis in China’s south.
“Good country, good country, we have to say that now, correct?” Ng says. “All the phones listening.”
Ng then jokes with members of the audience who say they are from Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by China, saying Taiwan is not a real country.
“I hope one day you rejoin the motherland. One China,” he says.
Ng’s account on the Chinese social media platform Weibo said on Monday that he was banned from posting for “violating relevant laws and regulations”.
Ng’s agency did not respond to a request for comment.
The Coverage Malaysia
