Ep 18: Dr Jason Leong - Malaysia's Top Stand-Up Comedian & Netflix Special Star (Hashtag Blessed)

Dr. Jason Leong is a former doctor turned Malaysian stand-up comedian star who has been enthralling his audience since 2010 when he did his first open mic gig at Zouk KL. Since then, he has gone on to, amongst others: - Be the first Malaysian to win the 7th International HK Comedy Competition 2013 & win the title of Crowd Favourite; - Perform at Comedy Central’s Stand-Up Asia, Hollywood’s Laugh Factory & New York’s Gotham Comedy Club; and - Have his own Netflix Special called Hashtag Blessed!! But how did this all come about? What is Dr Jason’s story & has he found his “why”? In this STIMY podcast episode, we dig into: 1.57: What Dr Jason Leong was like as a child 3:23: His experience studying as a medical student in Dublin & experience of working at an Irish pub; 6:06: His first open mic gig at Zouk KL & why that experience was so transformative; 8:17: How he ended up joining the Malaysia Association of Chinese Comedians; 13:45: Dr Jason’s first major bomb - which almost caused him to cry on his birthday!!; 15;29: Winning the 7th International HK Comedy Competition 2013 and performing at Hollywood’s Laugh Factory & New York’s Gotham Comedy Club (where he got to see Jerry Seinfield perform in the flesh!) 20:38: Why he won’t be less Malaysian in his stand-up jokes (to appeal to an international crowd); 24:21: His experience watching the live taping of the Stephen Colbert Report; 27:22: Why he spent RM150,000 of his own money to film his Netflix Special (with no guarantee that anyone would ever buy it!) 28:47: The process of trying to get Netflix to buy his Special for 2 years; 31:52: What Jason has been up to during this crazy COVID-19 period; 33:27: Why not all stand-up comedy jokes translate well to online platforms/social media; 34:47: The most contentious joke Jason has ever put forward & why he feels he has never gone “too far” 37:56: The “Fight for Gotcha” Brazillian jiu jitsu fight he will be having with Ean of Hitz; 39:25: Why stand-up comedy is one of the hardest art forms you can do; and So much more! Show notes: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/18