Douglas Lim has been making Malaysians laugh for two and a half decades now, from his early days in the television series “Kopitiam” and in plays, musicals and feature films.
But he is possibly most well-known and appreciated for his stand-up comedy acts, locally and internationally – including the gala of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2019 – which earned him the label of “king of Malaysian comedy”.
These days, though stuck at home under lockdown like everyone else, Douglas has managed to keep the masses laughing. He has been producing short satirical videos which have been a hit on his social media accounts.
These videos feature his thoughts on various subjects, told in humorous monologues or songs, and are usually not-so-subtle commentaries on local topics and political goings-on.
“In stand-up, it’s an observational monologue in front of a crowd; but in video form, to be safe, I use extended metaphors so that people understand it’s a parody or satire,” says the Kuala Lumpur-born comedian.
These metaphors could be anything from a zombie outbreak to represent Malaysia’s Covid situation, to “hypocrite-flavoured” instant noodles to allude to certain unscrupulous parties.
Many of his videos have gone viral, in excess of 100,000 views, including one that features visuals taken from FMT, for which Douglas good-naturedly apologises (and FMT good-naturedly accepts).
The thought of producing online content came of necessity more than anything else. “I’ve never really been active on social media; I lean towards traditional media as I’m a bit older,” says the amiable 43-year-old.
“My process involves observing something, writing them as jokes, collecting them and putting them into a show to perform over a span of, say, a month – a show with the boys,” he says, referring to fellow comics Phoon Chi Ho, Kuah Jenhan and Jason Leong, who collectively comprise the Malaysian Association of Chinese Comedians (MACC), which they founded in 2009.
“But we can’t do that now. So I still look at stuff and ask, ‘This can be funny, but how? We can’t do a show – so let’s do it in video form.’”
‘The booster character’
Douglas entered the Malaysian entertainment scene in the mid-1990s, “right after SPM”, when he was cast in a play by theatre veterans Faridah Merican and Joe Hasham.
But it was his role as the stylist Steven in NTV7’s sitcom “Kopitiam” in 1998 that put him in the spotlight. For the role, Douglas was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy in the Asian Television Awards, and he also sang the show’s theme song with fellow Malaysian entertainer Chelsia Ng.
Kopitiam, which ran for seven seasons and produced a sequel in 2019, opened the door for Douglas to roles in theatre and film as well as comedy showcases. Among his credits are the movies “1957: Hati Malaya”, “Arwah Pak Mat Lif & AJK”, and, most recently, a cameo in Astro’s “Chomel”.
His theatre credits include the musicals “Lat Kampung Boy”, “Cuci”, “P Ramlee” and “Ola Bola”.
He laughingly says he’s usually cast as the “booster character”.
“I’ve always been the peripheral Chinaman who’s just there to say a few funny lines and disappear. When things get dull, shove Douglas Lim on, have him say something funny and bring him off again.”
Despite being bitten by the acting bug, his first love remains stand-up. After “Kopitiam”, he had gone to the United Kingdom to take up Teaching English as a Second Language. While there, he listened repeatedly to a CD of Scottish comic Billy Connolly.
“Then I came back to Malaysia and watched Harith Iskandar perform. At the time, I was hoping to be a singer-songwriter but nobody paid attention,” he says cheerfully. “Then Harith came on and held the crowd for half an hour, and I thought, ‘That. That I can do.’”
He calls stand-up “the fastest dopamine shot”, even faster than receiving attention on social media.
“Some people post stuff and immediately want to see how many ‘likes’ they get. Imagine that multiplied a hundred or thousand times, when you’re onstage with hundreds or thousands of people.
“When you say a line and the audience loses their minds and looks at you with admiration, as if you’re the best thing that has ever happened to them in their lives – that is exhilarating and addictive.”
It is no wonder, then, that Douglas has found video to be a substitute for being on stage, as well as the occasional online event such as the recent diarrhoea awareness show organised by Smecta Malaysia.
But as much fun as these videos are, he – like many other performers and, indeed, every Malaysian – cannot wait for the lockdowns to end.
“If there’s one thing this pandemic has taught us, it’s that we still need human connection. Think all you need on a desert island is you and your gadget? No,” he says emphatically.
“On how the pandemic is being handled, I think I feel the same way as most – a cocktail of disappointment, anger and despair but mixed with gratitude for what we have, the friends and family we can sometimes meet,” he says in reflection.
He says the entertainment business has been “castrated” by the pandemic.
“Singers, dancers, DJs, tech people, wardrobe, set people – we can’t do anything. A lot of us have gone into the food and beverage line. The upside is that many of us are doing more writing as we’re all at home.
“Musicians have live-streams and such, but it’s not the same.”
Douglas expects a renewed energy when live shows and audiences are allowed again. “When we come back, we will be really passionate and full of fire. I’ve been doing standup for 13 years and, yes, I get a bit jaded and tired sometimes.
“But if you tell me now that we will have an audience, I’ll come out with guns blazing.” - FMT
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