A HOST at the Crackhouse Comedy Club told the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur today that Siti Nuramira Abdullah broke the ‘3R Rule’ when she acted indecently by taking off her baju kurung and tudung during her stand-up performance at the comedy club in June last year.

Muhammad Asyraf Kamal Musthaffa, 26, who is currently working as a graphic designer, said although he had briefed Siti Nuramira to not touch on the ‘3R (race, religion and royalty) rule’ before her performance, he remembered being shocked and surprised when she performed but he needed to remain calm as it was his duty as the show’s host.

“During her performance, she identified herself and said she memorised 15 chapters of the Al-Quran. In a split second she “removed her tudung and baju kurung” and then she went on and said some bad words. It took some time for me to process her actions. I have never seen anything like that before.

“I was surprised but I also had a duty (as a host) and I could not act too surprised because the audience comes first. I was thinking I have to neutralise the situation so the show can go on,” the first prosecution witness said during the examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob on the first day of Siti Nuramira’s trial. 

Two minutes of video footage depicting what happened at the comedy club on June 4 last year was played in court earlier and Asyraf identified the person in the video as Siti Nuramira who was charged with causing disharmony on grounds of religion among Muslims.

Recalling the day of the incident, Asyraf said he was told there were two people who wanted to do a stand-up comedy routine on June 4, 2022 as he was the host for the event that started at 5pm that day.

“Before the show started, I reminded the audience, recordings were not allowed so people will not misuse the footage. In this (Siti Nuramira’s performance) video, it was not at all what we presented (at) Crackhouse Comedy Club. Normally we tell jokes but here (referring to Siti Nuramira’s video) there was no joke. It is not stand-up comedy. 

“I looked at the audience and saw that they were surprised and there were a lot of mixed reactions (during Siti Nuramira’s performance). As a host, I remember saying ‘this is a place to respect so please respect’,” the witness said.

Siti Nuramira’s counsel, R. Sivaraj, questioned the witness on his position as a host at the Crackhouse Comedy Club during the cross-examination.

Asyraf, who is also pursuing a part-time career as a comedian, replied that it was not a job that he was hired to do as he was just the host for one show and was doing it voluntarily.

R. Sivaraj: As a comedian yourself, do you agree with me that profanity is often used during stand-up comedy and you have used profanity in your stand-up comedy before.

Asyraf: Not often and yes I have used profanity in my performances.

R. Sivaraj: In regards to 3R, I suggest to you the issue of race and religion as well as profanity has been used in Crackhouse Comedy Club before.

Asyraf: I agree.

On July 13 last year, Siti Nuramira, 27, pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing disharmony on grounds of religion among Muslims by stripping to reveal herself in a skimpy outfit at the Crackhouse Comedy Club at Taman Tun Dr Ismail, in Kuala Lumpur at 6pm on June 4, 2022 under Section 298A(1)(a) of the Penal Code.

The trial before Judge Nor Hasniah Ab Razak continues tomorrow. – Bernama, March 20, 2023.