Four questions need to be asked in the Nameweek’s “Nah” videoclip controversy.
Firstly, is the three-minute video “Nah” uploaded on YouTube by rapper Wee Meng Chee better known as Namewee seditious? I would say no.
Secondly, is the video racist? I would also say no, unless an anti-racist response has also become “racist” in the way that former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad wants Malaysians to believe that meritocracy has become a form of racism.
Thirdly, is the video crude, vulgar, abusive and even obscene? Yes. I have said twice publicly that I do not approve of the crude, vulgar, abusive and even obscene style used by Namewee but that is different from saying that it is seditious or racist and deserves the harshest criminal action to be taken against Meng Chee.
This is also why I cannot agree with the public stand of the MCA President Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek who declared on National Day eve that MCA fully supports any action taken by the government against Meng Chee. Does this include action under the Sedition Act or other capital offences?
How can the MCA leadership with four Ministers in Cabinet take such an irresponsible position, giving a blank cheque to racists and extremists to set the agenda as to the punishment that should be meted out to Meng Chee? Isn’t this a gross abdication of responsibility in government?
The fourth question is whether Meng Chee is the victim of double standards by the authorities?
Yesterday, Meng Chee was questioned for more than seven hours at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for the “Nah” videoclip. Three days earlier, he was questioned for three hours by the police – making a total of over ten hours of questioning by the authorities since National Day.
In contrast, the two schools principals in Kulai and Bukit Selayang, who had made racial and seditious slurs against non-Malay students, had been spared such an ordeal although Meng Chee’s video was made as an anti-racist protest against these two incidents.
The Public Service Department (PSD) is reported today as saying that a show cause letter will be issued to the school principal in Kulai if she had indeed uttered derogatory remarks at her students recently.
Three weeks have passed since the incident in Kulai on 12th August. Is it so difficult to establish the facts and the truth of the incident?
Where is the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s pledge of “Zero tolerance for racism” and his slogan of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” when there could be such great contrast between the treatment meted out to the two errant school principals and Meng Chee?
If action is to be taken against Meng Chee, there must be a sense of proportion and justice with regard to the action meted out to the errant school principals on the one hand and Meng Chee on the other.
UMNO Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin’s self-serving response to my statement on Thursday does not merit much attention as I had never said that “two wrongs make a right”.
However, a person who had been guilty of making racist statements should not be trigger-happy to demand action to be taken against others on the alleged ground of racism.
Malaysianki readers have themselves shot down Khairy’s self-serving explanations in the Malaysiakini interview, as his defence of his racist statements would be as believable as his support for the keris-wielding incidents by the Umno Youth leader, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein for three years consecutively when he was then Deputy Umno Youth leader!
Khairy’s claim “if you ask 10 Malaysians what they thought” of the Namewee line “You tak baca? Siapa buat Malaysia kaya?” that 10 Malaysians would agree with him that it was racist is debunked by one reader who commented:
Wong Jiang Fung KJ: “If you ask 10 Malaysians what they thought Namewee meant by that statement, they’d say that there is an obvious undertone which is suggestive.” “Of course it was offensive, implying that we don’t have any contribution at all,” I have 10 friends on fb who watched the video, none of them think like KJ did. This proves KJ is wrong. The statement is controversial but not seditious.
Writer Mariam Mokhtar in her article ‘Namewee is a uniting factor’ also clearly does not agree with Khairy, and I would urge Umno and MCA leaders to ponder what she wrote, viz:
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin adopted a different spin on Namewee’s questions: “You tak baca? Siapa buat Malaysia kaya?” (Don’t you know? Who made Malaysia prosperous?). Khairy assumed that Namewee suggested the ‘Malays played a minor role in Malaysia’s economic growth’.
Khairy is possibly wrong and as far as can be ascertained, Namewee wasn’t alluding to anything.
Namewee posed an open-ended question. However, political personalities are already scoring brownie points by insinuating various things.
Namewee was wrong to be abusive – even I would balk short at such behaviour. But Namewee speaks for all those who suffered that day in school and for the people in Malaysia who care.
Maybe if the authorities had been swift in their response, Namewee would not have had the reason to come up with this clip.
The more potent danger
Actually, Namewee has done the job of the government much better that the government itself. It has given prominence to racism issues in a creative way and made us take a stand against racism. If not for his Youtube, clip, would we have taken as much attention? The problem is that the authorities have ‘lost it’.
When Dr Chua Soi Lek criticised Namewee and said, “Freedom of expression should come with responsibility to consider sensitivities towards other races and religions”, he forgot that it was the two school principals who ignored sensitivities and caused a furore.
And instead of the school principals being censured, it is Namewee who is allegedly being charged with sedition. Namewee’s clip was crude and coarse, but not racist.
This young disgruntled Malaysia’s response to racism has been blown into something of a racial firestorm. That is the more potent danger.
It seems that when you scratch beneath the surface, 1Malaysia is unraveling faster than a knitted jumper. One person condemns an irresponsible racist head, and the so called defenders of the race, react like beasts unleashed, and all for the wrong reasons.
Namewee has talent. He engages with the young via his rap music and lyrics. He should be nominated for a role in the Ministry for Information, Communications, Culture and Arts, to promote racial unity and other Malaysian issues.
Far from creating disharmony, Namewee has united us against racism. He at least has the courage to tackle racism in his own entertaining way.
Had Namewee been a govt university student or a civil servant, he would had been sacked.
The Public Service Department (PSD) would had cancelled his scholarship if he had one.
If he had a datukship, the sultan would had revoked it.
Moral of the story: Tuans can but Pendatangs cannot
One must ask ask what is the purpose of these interrogations? Is it for fact finding or are they for intimidation just like the three police patrol cars that went to his house in the middle of the night.
At the end of the day, there may be no case against Namewee but their objective of intimidating him will be achieved.
So just say UMNAH!!! at the next General Elections.
No guys. Umno is trying to prove a point. That under appropriate situations a person can and do in fact do silly things like strangle himself or write suicide notes or jump out of the window.
And they are being scientific about the whole thing. That is to say, the result (i.e. self strangulation etc etc) must be repeatable under similar situations. And the crucial issue here is the situations must be controlled. Eg. If they stuff a broom stick up a witness’ bottom the witness would scream loudly. The result of that first action (i.e. shoving the broom stick into a witness’ bottom) must produce the loud scream when another witness is treated similarly. If so then the loud scream coming from the act of stuffing the broom stick in a witness’s bottom can then be counted as a piece of scientific fact (or scientifically proven).
Careful there umno. Beng hock was interviewed in the middle of the night. So make sure namewee too was interviewed in the middle of the night. Otherwise your result would be a suspect.
Heck. I thought I just saw cintanegara’s rambutan rolling somewhere. What the …
U know, I know, people know, God/Allah knows dis is a big fat bullying tactic
As usual, UmnoB n BN die die want 2 outlaw WMC, consistent with their double standards
Punish d MESSENGER, not d real offenders who made ppl fed up with their racist remarks n instigated others 2 react
By doing so, UmnoB/BN hv successfully transformed WMC in2 an iconic WMD (weapon of mass destruction) of UmnoB/BN, boom boom boom
So, fr now 2 d next GE, let us all sing 2 UmnoB & BN
Nah, na na na nah, na na na nah, na na nah, na na nah, na na na nah
TAK NAK UmnoB & BN
Looks like there is another balik cina demand by one of umno’s servants. This time its worse. The servant is in uniform – blue uniform.
Refresh our memories plz, was CSL interrogated 4 >10 hrs by polis n MCMC over his raucous, sexually explicit, profanity-filled sexciting tiger shows?
umno justice is gutter justice. that’s why they mus be voted out. for the country’s sake and for their sake, they must be voted out.
one step at a time, they have make this country into a p@riah state. nobody respect them anymore. the word umno or bn makes me want to stay away from them like a disease.
Namewee’s fans should unite and reject BN/MCA come 13th GE.
There is no “racist element” in NameWee video clip..
Perhaps he only need to label it as in “18SX” category
If Namewee had been a Bin, he may be removed of his entire manhood for brandishing pisang in his video.
Gross Injustice … Bullying Tactics.
The 2 HMs are given slap on the wrists whereas Namewee is been intimidated to frighten the shit out of him.
The Rakyat should NOT Forget this and other Unfairness meted out to different people.
Vote Correctly come GE13 or any other Bye-elections. Thanks.
Clearly this is double standard in the highest form.
Race have also play a part in this uproar and this will surely be another factor that will crush umno/BN in the 13GE.
Namewee action only needs to be corrected. As a restless youngster, he is bound to get hurt if the authorities have 2 sets of rules or shift goal post.
To say Namewee is insulting is just shifting the blame.
You walk into a cybercafe and hear what others kids says inside there. They use obscene language which are well beyond your imagination. I’m really astounded at such behaviour but I just say they are still learning.
Leave Namewee alone .
Mamak: The world can only succeed in tackling extremism and global terrorism by understanding the ”root cause of the problem” ( punca masalah )
Strangely, he is keeping mum over the strong protests by non-Malay Malaysians and a large section of fair-minded Malays over the relentless and unchecked racial slurs by UMNO Malays against the Malaysian Chinese and Indians. But instead of being understanding the ”punca masalah” of such protests, they are one by one being intimidated or charged under the Sedition Act, while those of their own kind are allowed to get away unpunished!
If that is not practising double-standard laws, then I don’t know else to call it.
Mama*k sir, when there is ACTION, there is bound to be REACTION. That is the ”ROOT CAUSE” of the problems facing our negara yang tercinta. But you are keeping very quiet, WHY?? Don’t just talk, talk to shiok sendiri lol
These obedient dogs got their directive from their masters…. harass Wee to submission! The infamous two racist principals, are also obedient servants to their political masters, thus, they got away Scot free!
Tonight’s China Press (page A3) reported another case of civil servants making racist remarks. A Chinese woman (aged 51), who had been robbed, went to a police station to make a report. The officer who handled her case told her, “If you don’t understand Bahasa, go back to China!”
The women replied in Bahasa, “I am a Malaysian. Why must I go back to China?”
Oops!
The women replied
should read
The woman replied.
SEXDITOUS
Yes, Inspektor Shabudin was just ikut his fellow civil service colleagues
Monkey sees, monkey does
http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/34297-jika-tak-tahu-cakap-bahasa-melayu-balik-cina
Racists, no problem 1 mah
Only ppl who react 2 them will kena
Since so many want the Chinese Malaysia to go back to China, n Indian Malaysian go back to India, Indonesia Malaysian go back to Indonesia.
Malaysia govt must demand China, India, and Indonesia to accept million of these people, otherwise break all tie with them!!
I agree that Namewee has unleashed beasts of racism.
You tak baca, siapa buat Malaysia kaya? Auntie Rosie lor.
“Zero tolerance for racism” (Term and condition apply)
How many dysfunctional gomen servants both state and federal level, sacked in Penang, Perak, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan so far ? Well, when the pengetua talks like an idiot, thinks like a schizophrenic and acts like an idiot, it is clear she cannot manage herself and her students and therefore being a Puan, she is entitled to an early honourary retirement from the Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam. Then she can start her own private school, practise her cronyism and neopotism and see if she can survive long enough to become an education businesswoman millionaire.
First of all MCA president Chua Soi Lek cannot comment on Namewee because he is in a different line of business, he is a porn star and Namewee is a singer. Must make it clear. The only similarity is both of them are vulgar. Both entertainers! Namewee is against racism but CSL is a supporter of racism. He so called fight for the right of the Chinese but a cork sucker of the UMNOputras.
Everyone pls look at the video comments…what do most people talk about..racist. I agree the video doesn’t speak about racist but the end result do.
He told everyone that when something goes wrong then he will speak up because he is Malaysian and he love this country. But his video is clearly bringging different massage. Is this act of good people who love his country. I’m doubt on which side you are!!
Nice isn’t it?
Lets compare the government’s action against Namewee to that of Ridhuan Tee or Ibrahim Ali
On one hand we have some student rapper making his comments on the internet. And on the other we have a columnist of a major newspaper and a politician airing their ideas over the newspapers, TV channels and directly by public speeches.
Here the government is trying to throw the book at the internet rapper and takes no action against politician or newspaper columnist.
Thus by its actions alone, we can say that Najib’s government supports the ideas of Ridhuan Tee and Ibrahim Ali (Perkasa).
1Malaysia really is a copy of the Nazi 1Germany slogan.
“Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer!”
(“One people, one Reich, one leader”)
And you can guess, where UMNO is going with that.