Palestine joke or paperwork problem? Why Sammy Obeid’s Singapore show was cancelled

SHAH ALAM - American comedian Sammy Obeid’s stand-up show in Singapore was cancelled five days before it was meant to take place.

This sparked a clash between his version of events and the official explanation provided by Singapore’s authorities.

Obeid claimed censorship over his references to Palestine and Israel, while the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) maintained the real reason was a late licence application.

Hence, the dispute has raised questions about Singapore’s approach to entertainment regulation, the country’s sensitivity to political issues and the challenges artists face when performing internationally.

What triggered the dispute?

Obeid, a US-based comedian of Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian and Italian heritage, had planned to perform “Sammy Obeid: LIVE in Singapore!” at the Victoria Theatre on Aug 31, 2025.

However, on Aug 27 Obeid took to Instagram alleging that Singaporean authorities had rejected his permit because of political content in his script.

“I erred on the side of caution and submitted a heavily censored script that only referenced Palestine a few times and mentioned Israel once, as I wanted the show to proceed.

“After waiting weeks and weeks, the script was rejected. I was told to completely remove all mentions of Palestine and Israel,” Obeid said in his Instagram post.

According to Obeid, the cancellation came just five days before his scheduled performance.

Singapore’s official response

The IMDA strongly disputed Obeid’s version of events, calling his allegations “inaccurate.”

In a statement on Aug 15, 2025, the agency said the problem was not the content of his script but the late submission of the Arts Entertainment Licence (AEL) application.

“The Arts Entertainment Licence (AEL) application for the stand-up comedy show was rejected as it was submitted late. IMDA received the application around 11.57pm on Friday, Aug 15, 2025, for the intended show on Aug 31, 10 working days before the event,” an IMDA spokesperson said.

“AEL applications are required to be submitted at least 40 working days before the event,” the spokesperson added, stressing that such applications must be filed well in advance.

Repeat late applications

IMDA also pointed out that the licence was submitted by a local representative who was already familiar with the process but had a record of late applications.

According to the authority, the same representative had submitted three previous late applications since May 2024.

On Aug 19, the representative was informed by email that the application could not be processed, and the decision was reiterated again on Aug 25 through both a phone call and written correspondence.

“We have no information on when the decision was conveyed by the local representative to Obeid,” IMDA stated.

Crucially, the regulator insisted it had never asked the comedian to alter his set.

“IMDA had not requested for any edits to be made on the script. At no time were ‘multiple edits’ requested.

“We are also not aware of past applications for Obeid to perform in Singapore and discussions on scripts,” IMDA said in a statement.

American comedian Sammy Obeid’s stand-up show in Singapore was cancelled five days before it was meant to take place. Photo: Instagram/edited in Canva.

What did the comedian say afterwards?

Following IMDA’s denial, Obeid responded on Instagram by sharing his side of the story.

“You can call me a lot of things… failed mathematician, mediocre comedian, gum chewer… but your boy ain’t no liar,” he wrote.

He also indicated he would continue his comedy tour in other Asian cities, including Bali, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul and Tokyo.

Government reaction in Singapore

Singapore’s Law Minister Edwin Tong also addressed the issue, saying that the IMDA did not request a single edit to Obeid’s script.

He also added that the government was considering “further steps” in response to the allegations.

Obeid’s past humour on Palestine and Israel

Obeid has previously included Palestine and Israel in his stand-up routines.

“Really, I treat comedy about Palestine like an illegal settler does land in the West Bank. Like, if I do not take this, someone else will,” he said in a comedy show.

The American comedian utilised humour to address the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

His willingness to confront these themes has shaped his comedic identity and may also explain why his cancelled Singapore performance has drawn wider attention.