Papi Zak attributes his initial fascination with comedy to the legendary American star Eddie Murphy (Photo: Zahid Izzani/ The Edge)
Stepping onto a dimly lit stage with nothing but a microphone is terrifying, but for the modern stand-up comedian, it is an addictive adrenaline rush. Papi Zak, a veteran in the local scene, can attest to this. Speaking from two decades of experience, he remarks that delivering a monologue to a dynamic audience evokes a sense of liberation. “Live comedy gives you this freeing feeling.”
Although taking the plunge requires grit, endless hours of drafting jokes and the courage to transform personal awkwardness into universal humour, he embraces the stage as a sanctuary that allows him to share raw truths and intimate vulnerabilities under the veil of entertainment.
Now in his forties, the stand-up comedian grew up admiring the legendary American superstar Eddie Murphy, who joined the cast of Saturday Night Live at 19 years old. The latter’s appearance and role in helping revitalise the show with iconic characters propelled him to instant stardom. From a different continent, young Papi Zak would watch Murphy make people laugh as he poked fun at his chaotic family life, dating, pop culture and race.
His concert films left quite an impression on Papi Zak. “They changed my life. If I could make one wish, I would wish I was in the same room with the audience. Just watching him on TV made me feel so good. If I was there to witness him in person, imagine just how great that would be.”
Since the beginning of his career, Papi Zak has been a strong advocate for live performances. “When you see a show in person, you get the whole experience. You go on a journey with the comedians through the hardships they experienced and you learn based on their observations about something you have seen but never actually thought about in detail,” he says.
“In contrast, if you watch a production on Netflix or YouTube, you miss out on the atmosphere and the vibe. You might even overlook some context because people tend to upload just a short clip of a segment. As a result, you can’t appreciate the joke as much.
“Just like how you get so immersed in a blockbuster movie, stand-up comedy also makes you feel things. But the biggest takeaway is definitely laughter. It is crafted to ensure you have a good time.”
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Tracing its roots back to the late 19th century in the US, the genre found its way to Malaysia in 1990 when trailblazer Harith Iskander took to the stage to talk about mundane local life by himself. “Although it is Western culture, I believe stand-up comedy is a form of expression for anyone to share their thoughts. That’s how it is relevant to the local audience,” says Papi Zak.
The country’s vibrant multicultural background also means there is a lot of material for comedians to explore on a daily basis, if one is observant enough to pay attention. “When I’m in a new place, I tend to be quiet so I can focus on my surroundings. All of this adds value to my performance.
“We have so many things we can work with because of how diverse we are. We go through different things every day and it only takes one person to say, ‘Isn’t it funny how this guy does this?’ to get a reaction from someone else.
"It is even more fascinating to build a joke around our national language as certain terms can only be said in Bahasa Malaysia, he notes. “Like the word manja, you can give instances to describe what it means, but it’s not really possible to translate into English literally. If you have foreigners among the audience, they can go back and talk about learning this new Malay word, which belongs to us but is still relatable to the world.”
In the past 30 years, there certainly has been progress in the entertainment industry, but home-grown comedians need more support and space to flourish further, Papi Zak observes. Events such as PJ Comedy Fest — a five-day programme from July 29 to Aug 2 at DeStage in Jaya One, Petaling Jaya — provide a platform for established names as well as up-and-coming talents to put themselves out there and engage with a wider audience.
Reflecting the country’s multicultural voices, PJ Comedy Fest is made up of productions in Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, Tamil and English. Audiences can look forward to a broad spectrum of performances, from improv and storytelling showcases to interactive and theatrical experiences.
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Papi Zak will be a part of the Comedy Gala, the festival’s headline attraction featuring other leading figures such as Joanne Kam, Shamaine Othman, Kavin Jay, Andrew Netto, Fattah Azeem, Ruoh Peng and Mad Sabah.
Designed to be as inclusive as possible, the festival is not limited to adults only. A family-friendly production, A Rendition of Midsummer Night’s Dream by teen theatre group EM Drama, ensures children can join in the fun with their parents.
“It’s a safe space for everybody to come and enjoy. And it’s a safe space for comedians to express themselves. Beyond that, PJ Comedy Fest is meant to send a message that comedy live shows are here to stay,” Papi Zak says matter-of-factly.
PJ Comedy Fest runs from July 29 to Aug 2 at DeStage, Jaya One, PJ. For tickets, visit cloudjoi.com.
This article first appeared on July 27, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
