Negaraku rapper quizzed by cops
 KUALA LUMPUR Sept 23, 2008): A 25-year-old mass communications graduate who caused a "national stir" with his own rap music version of the national anthem Negaraku two years ago was questioned for more than three hours by federal police today. Wee Meng Chee, who is being probed under the Sedition Act for allegedly mangling the song with local sensitivities, arrived with his parents in the federal commercial crime headquarters on Bukit Perdana at 10.30am. The six-minute song he renamed Negarakuku was sung by Wee in Hokkien and Mandarin but the chorus is in Bahasa Malaysia. At about 1.50pm, he walked out of the police building and was swarmed by reporters and photographers. Appearing cool and relaxed, reporters were taken aback when Wee said he was unaware of the nature of the probe or under which provisions of the law he was being investigated for. "The police asked me to turn up to answer questions. They did not tell me for what I am being probed for or if I have to come here again. I play music, I don't know the law. The police were very kind and friendly to me," he said when asked if the police had told him what he is being investigated for. He said among the questions put to him by police was on why he wrote the song and details of his personal particulars. He said three police personnel who were in the room with him also told him to translate the song to Bahasa Malaysia. Wee said he had no malicious intent and he was just being creative, expressing his personal views through the song. Asked if he was upset by the whole issue being blown out of proportion to the extent of him being summoned by the police, he said: "The police are just doing their job, that is investigating. I was just doing my job which is making music," he said, adding that he was actually excited about being called up by police as it was a new experience for him. Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) assistant director (multimedia & cyber crimes division) ACP Kamaruddin Md Din, when contacted, said police were close to wrapping up the probe under the Sedition Act and will submit the investigation papers to the Attorney-General's Chambers for further action. Wee had posted the song in online videoclip website Youtube.com in July last year which created a furore among certain politicians who pressed for punishment against the rapper for allegedly disrespecting the national anthem. Wee, who was then studying in Taiwan, returned home to Muar on Aug 29. - theSun |
posted by Francis Xavier at 3:15 AM
