Crosstalk comedy wows crowds | The Star

WAVES of laughter and cheers erupted throughout a packed hall as several comedians took turns performing onstage.

Donning the hanfu traditional Chinese attire, the performers captivated the audience with their witty remarks, earning loud applause in the process.

This was the opening night of the Malaysia-Taiwan Crosstalk Show at Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur, organised by Federal Territory MCA.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng were the guests of honour.

Ka Siong (fourth from left) looks on as Jeck Seng (third from left) presents a token of appreciation to Tan. — Photos: MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star

In his speech at the event, Ka Siong said that crosstalk was an important form of Chinese culture.

He also stressed that efforts must be made to preserve and pass on the culture including through the use of social media.

Jeck Seng said MCA was committed towards efforts to promote Chinese culture in the broader, multicultural Malaysian society.

“The newer generation may not be familiar with crosstalk, and this event is an important platform to educate them,” he said.

The performers entertaining the audience (left) with their witty remarks.

Also present was Nirvana Group vice-president Tan Kean Huat.

He received a plaque from Ka Siong and Jeck Seng as a token of appreciation for Nirvana’s sponsorship of the event.

In a report by The Star on June 25, Federal Territory MCA deputy chairman Tan Kok Eng said they hoped crosstalk would help ordinary Malaysians better understand national issues via comedy.

“Instead of giving political speeches which can be hard to understand, the crosstalk comedic twist will help the audience to better understand the current situation through laughter,” he said.

The crosstalk programme was a five-day event starting July 2 featuring comedy shows at five locations in Selangor and Johor.

Also known as Xiangsheng, it is a traditional form of Chinese comic dialogue that includes singing and Chinese rapping, sometimes accompanied by musical instruments.

The second performance was held at the Kuala Lumpur campus of Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) in Setapak on July 3.

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman’s (UTAR) Sungai Long campus in Cheras hosted the third performance on July 4.

The remaining performances were held at schools in Johor.

The Yong Peng Chinese High School in Ayer Hitam hosted the show on July 5 while SJKC Yu Ming 2 in Pekan Nanas featured a show on July 6.