TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) – A Malaysian comedian known for making fun of Western chefs in Asian cooking has had his Chinese account suspended after making a Chinese joke.
Nigel Ng, who goes by the stage name Uncle Roger, is the latest comedian to feel the effects of a joke that can be seen as a negative reflection of China’s over-censorship and nationalism.
Last week, a Chinese comedian was investigated by the police for a joke about stray dogs.
Ng posted a video last Thursday from an upcoming comedy special where he pokes fun at China’s censorship and Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.
The video shows Ng talking to an audience member who said he was from Guangzhou, a metropolis in southern China.
“Good world, good world, we have to say this, don’t we?” Ng says. “All phones are listening.”
Ng then laughs at the members who said they are from Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by China, saying that Taiwan is not a real country. “I hope that one day you will come back to motherland. One more time,” he said.
His Weibo account said on Monday that he had been banned from posting for “violating relevant laws and regulations.” Ng’s organization did not respond to a request for comment.
A Chinese comedian may face jail time if police and government departments investigate him over a joke he performed during a live performance in early May.
Beijing police announced last Wednesday that they are investigating comedian Li Haoshi for “grossly insulting” the People’s Liberation Army.
The comedian, who goes by the stage name HOUSE, made a joke about stray dogs by saying a familiar phrase used to describe Chinese martial arts.
Li said he took two dogs that were very strong when they were following the squirrels, shooting like bullets after their targets.
In general, he said, dogs are beautiful and melt your heart, but when he sees his two dogs, he thinks of the Chinese saying, “Able to win the war, with their style.”
The term was first used 10 years ago by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to describe planned reforms to China’s military, according to the China Media Project, which studies Chinese media.
The government department known as Beijing’s Comprehensive Team of Law Enforcement on Cultural Market said in a statement last week that it received a tip from the public about Li’s work on May 13 and in response launched an investigation into the company that Li signed with.
The legal team said it will pay the company, Xiao Guo Wenhua, about $2 million (13.3 million yuan). The company did not respond to a request for comment.
An unnamed official at Beijing police headquarters declined to say whether Li was in custody or under arrest, saying the investigation was ongoing and the results would be announced accordingly.
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Associated Press reporter Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this story.
