Soi Lek tells Namewee to ‘face the music’

The Malaysian Insider,

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 – MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek told controversial songwriter Wee Meng Chee today to “face the music” for offending other races and religious groups through his music video allegedly containing racial slurs.

Johor police denied today that they were arresting the songwriter, better known as Namewee, following his post on his Facebook page late last night that policemen in three patrol cars had come to his house in Muar to arrest him.

“Freedom of expression should come with responsibility to consider sensitivities towards other races and religions,” Dr Chua (picture) told reporters today.

“Once he (Namewee) breaks that responsibility, he has to face the music,” he added.

The MCA president pointed out that he had helped Namewee extend an apology to the government after producing a headline-grabbing music video in 2007 that purportedly ridiculed the national anthem and the Islamic call for prayer.

“The end result was that he was pardoned,” said Dr Chua.

The MCA president slammed Namewee’s use of vulgar words and rude signs in his music video.

“I saw on (You)tube his singing and lyrics. There were a lot of vulgar words and signs that should not be used at all,” said Dr Chua.

“He should not bother with vulgarities,” he added.

Namewee is under investigation for allegedly producing a seditious music video which was uploaded on video sharing site YouTube.

The video which contains racial slurs is a stinging criticism of Johor school principal Siti Inshah Mansor’s allegedly racist remarks against Chinese and Indian students.

The SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra school head allegedly said during a school assembly that “Chinese students ... can return to China,” and likened the prayer strings used by Indians to dog leashes.

“If those two school heads are proven (to make racial slurs), police should also charge them,” said Dr Chua, referring to Siti Inshah and another school principal in Kedah who was accused of telling Chinese students to return to China.

“This will send a strong signal that the government should reject any form of extremism,” he added.

Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reportedly said that they were now waiting for the Public Service Department director-general’s decision on Siti Inshah, following the submission of the Education Ministry committee’s findings to him upon completing their investigations.

Namewee removed the video on Siti Inshah from Youtube following public disapproval.

The video resulted in calls for government to take stern action against Namewee, including arresting him under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and revoking his citizenship.