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A surreal moment for Dr Jason Leong as he scores first Netflix special

Dr Jason Leong. (PHOTO: Netflix)
Dr Jason Leong. (PHOTO: Netflix)

Malaysian Dr Jason Leong, the medical practitioner turned stand-up comedian, is over the moon celebrating his first one-hour Netflix comedy show called Dr Jason Leong: Hashtag Blessed.

The comedian, who has collaborated with Yahoo Lifestyle SEA on a series of videos (watch below!) during the pandemic, tells us that he's always wanted to have his show on Netflix since 2018.

Before we dish further about the show, Leong shares that his performance is "80% new material, with some of my favourite blasts from the past. It's all good."

What we like: relatable humour

Hashtag Blessed elicits plenty of laughter as Leong focuses on his own experience with interracial relationships as he is married to his Malaysian-Indian wife Komella, who is also a doctor; recalling his medical practice and casual racism during travels; as well as debunking the existence of ghosts.

Another bold move made by the comedian is the subtle weaving in of political events in Malaysia, which you might find yourself laughing uncomfortably at due to the sorry state of the nation.

On stage, Leong coats stereotypes with honesty and bluntness such that you would even find yourself pausing for a moment and go, 'oh yeah!'

There are plenty of gold moments to be celebrated here, as he is poised with his storytelling flow; he shows that he is in control of the crowd and takes his time to drop the punchline or even emphasises certain choices of words with his tone and manner.

(PHOTO: Dr Jason Leong)
(PHOTO: Dr Jason Leong)

A surreal moment

Leong has many reasons to celebrate with this special; it will be made available in 190 countries, a fantastic feat for this medical doctor who took a chance with stand-up comedy as a full-time job: "It's a global release, like COVID-19. It's everywhere. I do feel like I've levelled up. But nowhere near my idols, of course."

The special means a lot to Leong too, because "it's a culmination of two years of perseverance and hard work. I could have easily given up any number of times in the last two years, but I kept my eye on the prize. And it's so surreal that what I envisioned, happened. When I taped my show, before I made any jokes I told the crowd that I was taping this show and hopefully will sell it to Netflix. And it came to be. That feeling cannot be described with mere words.”

As we tuck in at home in pyjamas (hashtag blessed) and watch this special during an unprecedented time, Leong isn't bent on stopping with just one show; he hints to us that hopefully, he will have more specials on Netflix. Only time will tell.

Watch Stay At Home with Dr Jason Leong videos: