[UPDATED] Siti Nuramira told of Crackhouse Comedy Club’s rules against sensitive topics: witness

KUALA LUMPUR – Siti Nuramira Abdullah, who performed at the Crackhouse Comedy Club and is alleged to have insulted Islam during her skit, was informed beforehand about the clubhouse’s rules, said a witness to her trial.

Appearing before judge Nor Hasniah Ab Razak at the sessions court here, the prosecution’s first witness, Muhammad Asyraf Kamal Musthaffa, claimed that he informed Siti Nuramira and her “husband” of the clubhouse’s unwritten rules prior to their performances.

Asyraf also told the court that the unmarried couple had introduced themselves as husband and wife.

The aforementioned rules included avoiding sensitive issues as well as 3R elements (race, religion, and royalty).

“What I do with newcomers is give them a soft brief, such as try not to touch on certain issues,” he said.

“It’s more of an unwritten rule. Others include keeping to time, and don’t affect other people’s performances.

“There are rules on what can or cannot be performed. Do not touch on race, religion, and royalty,” he added, affirming that Siti Nuramira’s performance had touched on religion.

However, after being cross-examined, Asyraf disclosed that Crackhouse Comedy Club had seen skits involving race and religion prior to Siti Nuramira’s performance.

Asyraf, who was the host that night, described her skit as something he had “never seen in his life”, which was why he could still recall the incident.

“She identified her name, mentioned she memorised 15 juzuk (chapters) of the Quran, and in a split second, took off her headscarf and baju kurung to a more revealing outfit (underneath),” he said.

“She went on to say some bad words, such as ‘hello mother****ers’, and I blacked out after that.

“It happened so fast, but I had to continue hosting. My priority at that time was to neutralise the audience,” he added.

Asked by deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob whether Crackhouse Comedy Club often does similar skits, Asyraf said that the performance was not what the clubhouse represented.

“This is not at all what we represent and what we do, we tell jokes and observations,” he said.

“There was no joke (to Siti Nuramira’s performance), and no element of stand-up comedy besides her holding the microphone,” he added.

The graphic designer also said that before performances began, the audience was informed that recording videos on the club’s premises and uploading them online were prohibited.

However, he could not recall who had recorded the now-viral video.

Previously, Siti Nuramira pleaded not guilty to the charge of inciting religious disharmony. A viral video of her stand-up skit shows her claiming to be a Muslim and to have 15 juzuk of the Quran memorised before stripping off her headscarf and baju kurung at the clubhouse.

She was charged under Section 298A(1)(a) of the Penal Code, which relates to deliberately causing disunity, ill will or hatred on the grounds of religion.

The Federal Territories Shariah Prosecution Department had dropped charges against the 26-year-old to avoid repeated charges in different courts against her.

In a separate TikTok video, Siti Nuramira said she had a pious upbringing, which “dissolved” after she decided to stop wearing the headscarf at the age of 20.

Her performance resulted in Kuala Lumpur City Hall temporarily suspending Crackhouse Comedy Club’s operating license.

The clubhouse’s co-founder, Rizal Van Geyzel, told The Vibes that his team was initially thrilled to see a Malay woman wearing a headscarf wanting to participate in stand-up comedy, but was instead left “shocked and gobsmacked” after her performance.

Siti Nuramira’s trial resumes tomorrow. – The Vibes, March 20, 2023