Namewee gives statement to police on 'Nah!' video

Controversial songwriter and film-maker Wee Meng Chee gave his statement to the police tonight over his latest controversial video 'Nah!'

Reaching the Taman Tun Dr Ismail police station in Kuala Lumpur about 9.15pm this evening, the popular rapper (right, in green) - who goes by the name 'Namewee' - gave a brief press conference before heading into the police station to have his statement recorded.

Referring cheekily to the alleged suicide of the late DAP aide Teoh Beng Hock after being interrogated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Wee told reporters he wanted to make it clear that he was in no state of mind to kill himself.

"I am mentally healthy, I have no injury and I am not going to commit suicide," said Wee, who was accompanied by his lawyer Ravin Singh (above, in black).

Wee also said he believes he has done nothing wrong.

'I support 1Malaysia'

"I'm a film director, artist and musician, but it doesn't mean that if there is something wrong, I keep quiet.

"It doesn't mean I'm anti-Malaysia. I am against racism. And I support 1Malaysia. If I see racism, I'll say it out loud. I love my country," he said.

Ravin later told reporters that the police merely want to record his statement, not arrest the Muar-native Wee, who is now permanently based in Kuala Lumpur.

Coming out of the police station at 12.25am, Wee told reporters that the police officers with him merely listened to his side of the story and took his statement.

"I explained everything to them already, and I think everything is okay now. They just listened to me.

Asked whether he was warned at all against stirring up any more controversy, Wee answered in the negative: "They didn't give me any warning. They just took my statement. Everything seems fine."

Facing sedition

Late last night, 27-year-old Wee shocked his fans when he posted on his Facebook page: 'Three police cars have finally come to my Muar home to arrest me' just before midnight.'

'This happened 15 minutes before our 53rd National Day Celebration', the message continued ending in bold, capital letters with: 'This is
not a joke'.

'Yes, I'm still here but for how long more, I don't know ... my
beloved Malaysia, where is our justice system?" Wee lamented before the end.

At about 1am, Wee updated his message in Chinese stating: 'The police 15 minutes before the National Day countdown came to arrest me but I was not home, I knew I would be taken away at any time, this may be my last message...I wish you all a Happy National Day'.

The following day, the police denied that they had arrested the Taiwan-educated artiste and that they were pursuing him at all.

Rumours circulated today, however, that Namewee was about the 'surrender' to the police.

It was only late in the afternoon that he posted on his Facebook: "I will be making my way to TTDI (Taman Tun Dr Ismail) police station in Kuala Lumpur tonight at 8.45PM."

This followed calls by Umno leaders and government ministers for action to be taken against Wee for what they alleged were seditious remarks in 'Nah'.

The video, which has since been taken downhis blog, showcased a three-minute rap song in which Wee raged - in colourful, expletives-filled language - against incidences of racism in Malaysia.

He targetted, in particular, the school officials of two schools in Kedah and Johor who are alleged to have uttered racial slurs against non-Malay students.

Malay-daily Utusan Malaysia, Puteri Umno, Information Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim and MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek were among the more prominent BN leaders who have called for Wee to be investigated for sedition.

Where's the sedition?

Earlier today, however, DAP veteran politician Lim Kit Siang (right) questioned why the police were investigating Wee for sedition when there was nothing particularly seditious in his diatribe against the Kulai secondary school principal for making racist slurs against non-Malay students.

"Wee can be faulted for being crude, vulgar, abusive and even obscene," said the Ipoh Timor parliamentarian in a statement.

But none of the above warrant action being taken against Wee under the Sedition Act, he noted.

"Are the youth wings of Barisan Nasional parties, particularly from Umno, MCA, Gerakan and MIC and all the BN Ministers prepared to take a stand that Wee's latest video clip may be guilty of being crude, vulgar and abusive but definitely not sedition?" he asked.

Video on him at Police Station:

courtesy of Malaysiakini