Cops questioning Negara-ku rapper Namewee (updated)

By RASHITHA A. HAMID

KUALA LUMPUR: Wee Meng Chee, aka Namewee, was questioned by police on Tuesday over the controversial Negara-ku rap video he released on video-sharing network youtube last year.

He travelled from his hometown of Muar Tuesday morning to see police officers from the Cybercrime unit of the Commercial Crimes division.

Wee, who was accompanied by his parents, arrived at the department at 10.30am and was questioned by three policemen for about three hours.

The 25-year-old rapper when met said he was asked to translate his six minute homemade Chinese-language rap video into Bahasa Malaysia by the police.

Police had also questioned him on the purpose of making the video.

Besides that, Wee said that the police asked him for his personal details such as his full name and identification card number.

He also said that the police was very helpful and friendly throughout the questioning and he also said that the police told him that they wanted to close the file on the issue.

“The police are doing their job. My job is to compose songs and their job is to catch people,” he said, adding that he was well prepared before turning up at the department.

“I was only expressing my opinion when I created the song,” he said.

Wee, who currently looking for a job in the media line, said currently his priority is to complete a documentary video project which he is working on.

He and his four friends are working on a documentary of Malaysians living in other countries such as Macau, southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

“The documentary is almost finished. It is in the editing stage,” he said, adding that he would continue to compose songs in future.

Wee also expressed his wish to find a job in Malaysia.

Meanwhile CCID cyber and multimedia investigation division assistant director Mohd Kamarudin Md Din when contacted said Wee is being investigated under the Sedition Act and police would refer the case to the Attorney-General’s Chambers soon for further action.

Last year, Wee became the talk of the town when his rap video was posted on video-sharing website YouTube. The Mandarin number created an uproar, with several quarters condemning him for mocking the national anthem.

Wee, who denied he made the video with any ill intention, had issued a public apology.