Who is better at poking fun at one’s country and its idiosyncrasies – Malaysians or Singaporeans?
Well, it’s time to find out with Malaysian comedy production Laugh Die You, which will be coming to Singapore this July for a two-night show.
The line-up includes popular local comedian Kumar, local host Gurmit Singh, Malaysian comedienne Joanne Kam and Malaysian rock band Hydra.
The three-hour show, Laugh Die You - The Karaoke, will see Kumar, 48, and Kam, 42, serving their best burns while tackling hot-button issues in both Malaysia and Singapore.
The show combines pyrotechnics, song, dance and stand-up comedy.
Gurmit, 51, will also be debuting his new alter ego Hero Singh.
The trio of comics gave us a sneak preview on talking points here and across the Causeway at a media session yesterday.
ON THE HAZE
KAM: I think it’s quite good because when you wake up, you don’t know if it’s night or day so you go back to sleep again.
GURMIT: I like the haze because when I wake up, I think I’m in Cameron Highlands.
KUMAR: I feel like I’m already dead.
ON THE FALLING RINGGIT
KAM: Why do you think I’m here? For every $100 (RM290) that (Malaysian production company Popcorn Studio founder Erik Ong) pays us (for Laugh Die You), we have enough for one month’s rent.
KUMAR: It’s a natural thing, everything is so expensive here. By the time we make ends meet, the government moves the ends even further.
ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN M’SIAN & S’POREAN WOMEN
KAM: I think Singaporean women are really stylish and they are a little bit more body conscious in terms of what they put into their mouths…
KUMAR: That sounds so wrong!
KAM: Food-wise!
ON KIASU-ISM
KUMAR: I don’t think the word exists in Malaysia.
KAM: No, there is definitely a sense of competitiveness. If you have a big car, I want a better car. But we will not get to the point where we line up for two hours at a fast-food joint to get a toy. Not yet, and I hope it won’t be like that.
ON AMOS YEE
KUMAR: I think they should lock him up and throw away the key. He doesn’t even know what he’s talking about. Is there something wrong with him? He needs to be put away.
KAM: I’m new to this, who is this Amos person?
GURMIT: Not Famous Amos, not that one.
ON THE INFAMOUS SMRT PROBLEMS
KUMAR: The problem is, how many MRT lines do we want to build? We’re digging so much in such a small country that I don’t know what is going to happen anymore. Are we going to go underground?
GURMIT: In future, we will build a tunnel and then when we emerge from the other side, we will see Australia.
ON MALAYSIA
GURMIT: I love the food.
KUMAR: For me, if something doesn’t “cock up”, it’s not Malaysia. If the light in the hotel room is not working, then I’m like, “Welcome to Malaysia”. Malaysia is like a breath of fresh air to me, no one is rushing.
KAM: We are so used to things not working that we expect them not to.
This article was first published on April 28, 2016.
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