IRREVERENT stand-up Dr Jason Leong is among the few Malaysian comedians to have a special on Netflix, alongside only two other industry veterans Harith Iskandar and Kavin Jay.
His previous stand-up comedy special, ‘Hashtag Blessed’, gained international recognition, and has been licensed by Netflix for five years, solidifying his place in the comedy world.
Leong has also made waves on the international comedy scene, performing at various festivals around the world. He is set to return to Netflix with a new special, ‘Ride with Caution’ that premieres on the streaming site on February 9.
In an exclusive interview with The Vibes, he reflected on his journey towards comedy fame.
“I came to national attention when I started touring with Douglas Lim, Phoon Chi Ho and Kuah Jenhan under the Malaysian Association of Chinese Comedians and then my clip about Whatsapp chat groups became viral globally.
“Hashtag Blessed got me more international attention, I should say. I am very happy with how Hashtag Blessed turned out and what it has done for my comedy career,” said Leong.
He went on to explain that he shot ‘Hashtag Blessed’ in 2018, after performing it 40 times around the world, and funded it entirely from his own finances and with the help of a talented team of producers led by his friend Kubhaer Jethwani.
When asked to describe his style of comedy, Leong said, “Observational, antagonistic, sardonic. I'm like a medical school lecturer who wishes to point out that you are wrong about everything and I'm right.
“Thankfully people have not grown tired of me yet and still want to buy tickets to watch me, so I'm very grateful.”
His brand of comedy can be traced back to other pioneering comedians such as Ronny Chieng, Ricky Gervais, and Bill Burr – all of whom he cites as primary influences.
Leong also shared that he didn't find it difficult figuring out where he fits in as a comedian, but rather it was a process of refining and polishing his voice to make it clearer and funnier.
“I wouldn't say it was difficult as much as it was necessary. But the more you do it, the more your voice becomes clearer and more distinct.
“So, the real devil in the detail is to just keep doing it, so that your voice, once found, can be refined and polished to be even clearer. And funnier, of course,” he explained.
Leong's upcoming special, ‘Ride with Caution’, will explore themes such as the pandemic, anti-vaxxers, the menace of cyclists, parenthood, and doing jiujitsu in New York.
Stand-up comedy in Malaysia remains a niche profession, with only a handful of clubs in the country that facilitates open mic nights for comedians to test out their mettle and hone in on their craft.
However, Leong believes there is a lot of potential in Malaysia.
On the landscape for stand-up comedy in Malaysia, he said, “we had a terrible year in 2022, what with Crackhouse Comedy Club being shut down and Rizal van Geyzel getting arrested for his stand-up comedy clips. But having said that, the support for comedy has been astounding.
“In fact, more people are coming out now to support comedy, knowing that we can't take the art form for granted anymore. I believe Malaysia and to a larger extent, Southeast Asia are about to enter a Golden Age for stand-up comedy.”
Leong is about to embark on a brand-new tour called ‘Dr Jason Leong: Brain Drain World Tour 2023’ and tickets are available at www.jasonleong.my. – The Vibes, January 21, 2023
