Adib Noor
For the last few years, two talented individuals popularly known as Najib and Loh have brought laughter and joy with their natural skills for comedy.
Thirty-three-year-old Najib said he was a class clown and was always eager to entertain his family.
“I guess it was always in me, from a young jokester to now a proud comedian of Bruhaha Comedy.”
Najib shared that his first steps in the comedic scene began when he joined local comedy collective Bruhaha in 2018.
“Bruhaha was my platform, where I learnt about writing material.
“Bruhaha made me the comedian I am today. With dedicated mentors, I developed my skills.”
Loh, also 33, is an educator, content creator and script writer. He attributes his talents to Bruhaha, crediting it as the platform where he polished his comedic abilities.
“We are both from Bruhaha Comedy. We have known each other since 2000 and eventually become comedy buddies,” said Loh.
On their style of comedy, the duo explained that they are inspired by daily life.
“It is mostly things we go through in our daily life, whether it is work related, family related our love life and many more. And we are mostly known for our pickup lines in Malay,” said Najib.
“In our comedy we also try to spread positivity and moral views. Like Bruneians always say, ‘sindiran sayang’,” added Loh.
Najib and Loh highlighted that comedy takes time and skill. “It takes hours of prepping and discussion with our mentors at Bruhaha, polishing ideas,” Najib said.
“This translates to performing on stage, too as we have to practise according to guidelines while still making it entertaining,” Loh added.
Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed them to put on a live show which they named The Najib and Loh Show.
“The pandemic prevented us from creating live content, which pushed us to create comedy sketches on Instagram. Alhamdulillah, with rezeki from Allah the Almighty, it was well received and we started receiving offers from clients to create advertisements for their companies,” said Loh.
The comedians shared that once COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, they took the risk to make their dream into a reality by organising and performing their own live show.
“We are inspired by our comedy heroes on Maharaja Lawak and the Sepahtu show, which showcase live comedy sketches,” they said.
Following the success of the first and second editions of The Najib and Loh Show, the duo is set to take the stage for the show’s third instalment.
On what comedy means to them, they both agreed that it is a part of life.
“To me, comedy is a gift from Allah the Almighty. It provides a safe space for people to laugh and get away from their busy life, even if just for a moment,” said Loh.
Meanwhile, Najib said, “My ultimate joy is through comedy, because it often creates memorable moments that you can talk about for many years to come. That’s why my goal is to create those moments with as many people in Brunei as possible, to have an impact on their life and make them smile and laugh in a positive way.”
“We want everyone to enjoy themselves and create memories which people can enjoy with each and every one of our performances,” the duo said.
