Bringing global comedy to Malaysia

Harith seeks to host World’s Funniest Person contest here

KUALA LUMPUR: Local comedian and 2016’s “World’s Funniest Person” Harith Iskandar is hoping to bring the biannual contest to Malaysia when it takes place next year.

Harith, who won the 2016 title in Levi, Finland, said in an interview that he was in talks with the competition organiser, US-based Laugh Factory Comedy Club, to host the finals in Malaysia.

He and his wife Dr Jezamine Lim attended the 100th anniversary of Finland’s declaration of independence from Russia at the JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

At the celebration organised by the embassy here, the veteran funnyman also received a special recognition from Finland’s ambassador Petri Puhakka for his 2016 win.

“I always talk about my experience in Finland. I met with nearly 50 Malaysians living there.

“I’m very proud of this award and it’s definitely going up on my wall,” said Harith, who also proudly announced his wife’s recent doctoral award in stem cell and tissue engineering.

Harith joked about his first time in Finland with its belowzero temperatures and quipped that its small population was about the same as Petaling Jaya’s.

Also at the celebration were representatives of other embassies, as well as Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan, who exchanged toasts with Puhakka for Finland and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s health respectively.

During his speech, Puhakka praised Malaysia’s continued economic growth despite strong challenges and described the country as a strategic partner.

“There are many areas, such as clean technology and healthcare, that we can cooperate in,” said Puhakka, adding that both countries had similar concerns about their ageing populations.

The ambassador also said he hoped to see more Finns and Malaysians travelling between the two countries as a way of cultural exchange.

“Finns know enough about Malaysia to place it on the map, and I hope Malaysians also know where Finland is in the Nordic states,” he said.

“When more and more people travel between both countries, you learn more about each other and that builds better relations.”

Puhakka added that there were about 250 Finn expatriates in Malaysia, with nearly one-fifth of them being students.

Finland was a part of the Russian Empire and was known as the Grand Duchy of Finland until Dec 6, 1917, when its Parliament declared independence following troubles in Russia due to the Bolshevik Revolution.