KUALA LUMPUR: Comedian Harith Iskander (pix) says Malaysia has the potential to be a central hub for stand-up comedy.
“In my mind, there’s no better place than Malaysia. You can ask any stand-up comedian (who have performed internationally) that the crowd is predominantly expats.
“In Malaysia, (if you) go to a comedy show, 80% to 90% of the audience are locals and Malaysians in general speak English.
“So, why not Malaysia being the centre for stand-up comedy?” he said in a press conference held at The Joke Factory in Publika, a venue for stand-up comedy shows.
He said that Malaysia also has the potential to host comedy festivals similar to Canada’s “Just for Laughs” and Melbourne’s International Comedy Festival.
Also present was Harith’s wife Dr Jezamine Lim, who said it was important to harness local talents and educate the public on the culture of comedy.
Jezamine, who is Harith’s manager, said depending on one’s experience, they can earn about RM2,000 per corporate gig.
