A group of comedians have put together a video urging all voters to come out and exercise their democratic right to vote in this 15th general election.
The man behind this endeavour is comedian Kuah Jenhan, who told Malaysiakini, “I basically sent out a text on the comedian chat (yes, we too have an annoying Whatsapp group) and was quite touched that many quickly expressed interest and encouragement.
“Around 20 comedians recorded videos in just two days. Amongst them are Douglas Lim, Dr Jason Leong, Harith Iskander, Phoon Chi Ho, Shamaine Othman, Rizal Van Geyzel and Kavin Jay. I am also excited to introduce many new fresh faces.”
Kuah has been a professional comedian for the past 16 years. In 2021, he balanced his career as a comedian with his job as a creative content director at an award-winning creative agency, Chariot Agency.
Explaining the idea behind the video, Kuah said it started with a conversation with his colleagues.
“Most of them are younger than I am and are going to vote for the second time in their lives. Some of them are only voting for the first time.
“The general sentiment among those who were casting their second vote was that they felt duped by the last general election, while the first-timers are excited to vote but also wondered if their ballots truly mattered or could help make meaningful changes,” said Kuah.
“So, I asked each comedian to record their very own messages for their platforms, but we’ve also recorded extras which I edited into one video for easy viewing. This video is about two minutes long.
“With the support of the agency, we booked a studio and a camera team for a day to assist comedians who needed help with their videos.
“The ones who couldn’t make it would film their part at home and upload it. Quite honestly, everyone offered whatever support they could,” Kuah explained.
He also noted that things have not been rosy in the local comedy scene.
”Crackhouse Comedy Club, the ‘home’ that gave birth to many of Malaysia’s favourite comedians had been unfairly shut down. My dear friend, Rizal Van Geyzel, is still being charged for telling a joke and could be imprisoned,” Kuah lamented.
Kuah gets a lot of questions if the local comedy scene has been adversely affected by all the problems related to the closing of Crackhouse.
“I recently performed with a few comedians and we all felt the same thing. The comedy scene is stronger than ever. Turnout at shows is at an all-time high. Comedy shows are like the Parliament now, everyone’s fighting for a seat!” said Kuah.
He also realised that there are parallels between the creative agency where he works and the comedy world.
“Whenever possible, we want to inspire a good change and challenge minds through communicating a narrative effectively.
“That’s where the agency empowered me to rally comedians, who make a living speaking their minds, to send a message to our beloved Malaysia that voting does matter.
“Undi18 happened. The anti-party hopping law to protect the people’s mandate happened. More than ever in the history of Malaysia, our voices and the voices of the young can and should be heard. I’m doing this for my colleagues, comedians, and my fellow countrymen,” stressed Kuah.
The video was uploaded on Nov 12, at 6pm. - Mkini
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