KUCHING: Sarawak is positioning itself as a new destination for stand-up comedy, with state leaders and industry players seeing the genre as a fresh driver for both the creative economy and tourism.
Deputy Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Snowdan Lawan, said stand-up comedy offers a different kind of entertainment that can complement existing events and festivals in the state.
“From a tourism perspective, programmes like these are very good because they are something new in Sarawak.
“Stand-up comedy has long developed in Peninsular Malaysia, but here it is still new and needs to be explored,” he said before the Harith Iskander – Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban – Jailed for Jokes – Live in Kuching, Sunday night (Nov 24).
Snowdan believes the growth of comedy can also open professional pathways for young talents in Sarawak interested in performance arts, scriptwriting, and eventually acting and film.
“We have seen how comedic characters can grow into full-fledged film stars, like Mr Bean.
“This shows that comedy has huge potential to be developed as a serious career,” he said.
He suggested that structured classes, workshops and mentoring sessions with established names such as Harith Iskander could help build a pipeline of Sarawakian comedians.
“If they are trained consistently, they can go far, even into the film world. This is something creative and it deserves our support,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Front Row Entertainment, Zaid Zaini, whose company brought Harith to the city, said their long-term vision is to make the city a recognised hub for stand-up comedy in Borneo.
“We want to add more activities in Kuching. In tourism, we want to make sure visitors have many choices.
“Comedy is a genre that is growing all over the world, so we are taking a step forward by bringing heavyweight names here,” he said.
Front Row has already introduced Kuching audiences to regional stars such as Douglas Lim, Kumar and Harith Iskander.
Zaid said the company now hopes to attract international acts, building on this momentum.
“Our dream is to one day bring a big-name comedian like Russell Peters. If this segment continues to grow, Sarawak can become a regional comedy destination,” he said.
Zaid also revealed that discussions are underway to stage a large-scale comedy festival in the next few years, inspired by the success of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF).
“In entertainment, it’s not only about music. Comedy is a major segment, and it’s becoming more popular.
“We hope to create a Borneo Comedy Festival that can draw fans from across the region, just as RWMF does for music,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that securing international comedians remains challenging, as many are still unfamiliar with Borneo and Sarawak.
“It is not an easy process because some of them do not yet know Borneo. That is why we are working hard to introduce Sarawak as a performance destination.
“We are still in talks and will only announce when everything is confirmed, but our hope is to start bringing in names from the United Kingdom and the United States,” he said.
