As he prepares to debut an Uncle Roger comedy special, Nigel Ng battles bans in China

Thanks to a recent bit, Nigel Ng has made some powerful enemies, but the Malaysian comedian’s contentious joke might help him sell tickets. The creator of the Uncle Roger character has been suspended on several Chinese social media platforms after sharing a clip from his upcoming Haiyaa Special, which will be available through digital events platform Moment.

The Haiyaa Special will present the jokes Ng told during his 2022 comedy tour, which brought Uncle Roger to 18 cities across the U.S. and Canada. In a trailer for the show, Ng dons his trademark orange shirt and delivers some edgy takes on Chinese censorship. “China, good country, good country,” Ng says, before looking askance and grimacing into the camera.

Ng’s digs at China struck a chord with his audience, but the targets of those jokes were not so amused. The Haiyaa Special trailer went viral, and shortly thereafter, Ng’s accounts on Chinese social services Bilibili and Weibo were suspended. A message on Ng’s Weibo page claims the Uncle Roger creator was punished “due to the violation of relevant laws and regulations.”

In response to the suspensions, Ng posted a video in which he characterized himself as an equal-opportunity offender. “Uncle Roger always talks s**t about everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’re BBC, CCP, or Jamie Oliver

,” Ng said. “If you find this clip funny, and you support free speech, go buy the Haiyaa Special.”

The Haiyaa Special will become available on June 4, which is a significant date in China. It’s the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, which are often cited by CCP opponents as an abuse of human rights.

On the 34th anniversary of that event, the Fuiyoh Special will go live on Moment. Uncle Roger fans will be able to pay $15 to receive a VOD version of Ng’s comedy special. Several add-ons are available, including articles of clothing that feature Uncle Roger’s catchphrases “Haiyaa!” and “Fuiyoh!” The foodies in Ng’s fanbase can buy shirts and sweatpants that celebrate the “king of flavor,” i.e. the umami-imparting compound monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Ng is not the first creator to work alongside Moment. The company formerly known as Moment House has provided a platform for specials launched by YouTube stars Jacksepticeye, Markiplier, and iDubbbz. In the case of the Haiyaa Special, Uncle Roger devotees will need to act quickly. The show will be available on Moment for two weeks but will be “gone forever” after June 18.