Uncle Roger, the online persona created by Malaysian comedian Nigel Ng, is known for his signature orange polo shirt, exaggerated Cantonese accent and the catchphrase "haiyaa" – a slang term in Chinese often used to express disappointment.
He embodies the archetype of a "middle-aged Asian uncle" who humorously (or controversially, depending on who you ask) critiques cooking videos, particularly those centred on Asian cuisine.
Beyond the character, Ng is a stand-up comedian who is bringing his Haiyaa world tour to the region with a show at Dubai Opera on October 7. While he is best known for Uncle Roger, Ng was inspired at a young age by watching clips online of comedians such as Eddie Murphy, Russell Peters, Louis CK and Chris Rock. And as he prepares for his regional debut with a stand-up gig, this wasn't always the path he envisioned for himself.
"I never, for once thought I could do it for a career," Ng, 33, tells The National. "It was after I moved to the US for university, I joined this stand-up comedy group, and I performed a few times. I said: 'Oh, this is pretty fun.' So I just kept doing it. Eventually, I got good enough to get paid. And slowly got paid enough to kind of just make ends meet, living on ramen, paying rent. And I was like: 'Okay, let's give this a shot.' So that was September 2019, I went full-time stand-up."
Although Ng experienced some success as a comedian – including being nominated for the Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019 – his breakthrough came in 2020 when he went viral on YouTube. In a video showcasing his character Uncle Roger, he provides a bewildered critique of a BBC chef's unconventional method for making egg fried rice. This video has since garnered more than 38 million views.
While this character has helped introduce the comedian to a wider audience, it has also sparked some backlash, with critics arguing that it reinforces Asian stereotypes, especially through the exaggerated accent.
“I wouldn't say [the backlash] bothers me," Ng says. "I try to understand and empathise with their perspective. My perspective is that I grew up in Asia, and I was of the majority race. We all sounded like that. We all speak like that.
“But I also understand that Asians who grew up in the West, British-born Chinese or Asian-American, maybe they've had bad experiences with other people of other races making fun of their food, the way they speak, the way their parents spoke. So, I get it.”
My mom speaks with an accent like Uncle Roger’s. To us, an accent is just how people speak sometimes, an accent is not a stereotype.
Nigel Ng
He acknowledges that some people might feel triggered by past experiences, such as bullying, and the pressure to assimilate into western culture, which can make it difficult to hear someone deliberately exaggerate or fake an accent. However, Ng reassures that when he puts on the accent, it’s not for the reasons some might assume.
“They feel like: ‘Oh, you're just allowing people to laugh at us. You're just allowing people to make fun of us again.' I understand where they're coming from, but I think they also need to understand where I'm coming from,” he says. “My mom speaks with an accent like Uncle Roger’s. I don't think she's allowing people to make fun of her. To us, an accent is just how people speak sometimes, and an accent is not a stereotype.”
Ng hopes to reclaim some power by using his character to challenge stereotypes and advocate for Asian culture. Rather than allowing others to mock the accent or view it as a caricature, he wants to flip the narrative, showing that Uncle Roger is a celebration of Asian identity and a way to stand up for the culture with humour and pride.
He says: “If people watch my videos and listen to the words Uncle Roger is saying – he's always lifting the culture up, he's making fun of western chefs not respecting our dishes. There are a lot of western chefs I've reviewed who have restaurants in Asia, so they're making money from Asian people. But they don't bother to learn how to do it properly."
He wants to continue championing Asian culture and has even opened his own fried rice restaurant, Fuiyoh!, in Kuala Lumpur, where he aims to showcase authentic and delicious Chinese food. Even before the success of Uncle Roger, Ng had always been passionate about cuisine.
“In Asia, growing up here, we eat out a lot because food is so plentiful, abundant," he says. "You can live in a Malaysian suburb, a Kuala Lumpur suburb, and you can just go to the strip mall, and there's like 50 different restaurants. There are so many different varieties of food, and they're all good. So we have that pride and that hunger always to explore and have good food.”
He says it wasn’t until he went to study at Northwestern in the US that he realised that not everyone had the same experience with eating out. He recalls how many of his friends would cook at home because eating out was more expensive and that food wasn’t as delicious and even sometimes lacked flavour.
In university, he had to learn to cook out of necessity because he was “broke and good food was hard to come by”, and that was something he hadn’t had to deal with in Malaysia. He says it wasn’t until he went out and finally discovered some delicious food that he realised what he had been longing for since landing in the US.
“In Asia, when it's so cheap, you go to a stall, a hawker stall or some street food stall that an old uncle has been cooking the same dish his whole life," he says. "So why would you ever learn to make it yourself? You can't compete against an uncle.”
Ng says he's always had an interest in cuisine, but when the character of Uncle Roger took off, especially through his focus on food-related videos, it encouraged him to further explore and deepen his passion for cooking and culture, which he hopes shines through with his new restaurant.
And although it’s still early, are there any chances that an Uncle Roger-themed eatery could come to Dubai?
He says: “Dubai is a very cosmopolitan city, an international city. I think they will be very welcoming of the restaurant and our restaurant is halal, so it will travel well in the Middle East. Dubai has a lot of tourists and a lot of local people who love good food, so hopefully one day.”
Nigel Ng – The Haiyaa World Tour is coming to Dubai Opera on October 7; doors open at 9pm, show starts at 9.30pm
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')
Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Stage 5 results
1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 3:48:53
2 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team -
3 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott -
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:00:04
5 Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) CCC Team 0:00:07
General Classification:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 20:35:04
2 Tadej Pogacar (SlO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:01
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:33
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:48
5 Rafał Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:11
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE gold medallists:
Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.
Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing
- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
MATCH INFO
Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')
Leeds United 0
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
EU Russia
The EU imports 90 per cent of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40 per cent of EU gas and a quarter of its oil.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E563Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh320%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
