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MV controversy: 'If you want to hold someone responsible, then let it be me alone.'
Malaysian rapper Wee Meng Chee, better known as Namewee, said he should be solely held responsible for his controversial "Oh My God" music video.
This was after Malaysian police said it will seek Interpol’s help to question the Taiwanese band which performed in the music video.
“‘Oh My God’ was an original sound track for the film ‘The Big Power.’ I was solely responsible for it, including the lyrics, song and content of the music video.
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“The Taiwanese band Nine One One (Jiu Yi Yi) was only responsible for singing and performing in the music video.
“If you want to hold someone responsible, then let it be me alone,” he said in a Facebook posting.
Nine One One, comprising three members, had performed with Namewee in the music video which featured several places of worship.
Namewee was arrested on Aug. 21 on arrival at the KL International Airport and remanded for four days.
He was released on Aug. 25 after police failed to obtain a remand extension.
Photo Credit: AP / 達志影像
Namewee claimed his music video was meant to promote religious harmony and world peace.
He blamed “extreme” media for making an issue out of it, adding that his Malaysian friends had no qualms with it.
Namewee said even though police are investigating him for disrespecting a place of worship, the shooting crew had received permission to use the venues featured in the music video.
He said the only reason he was being investigated were due to police reports by some “extremists.”
Multiple police reports were lodged against Namewee on July 30 over his music video.
The police reports complained that the music video had used the word ‘Allah’ in a disrespectful manner and portrayed Muslims as terrorists.
The reports also took issue with the portrayal of Muslims gambling and the use of the azan in the music video.
Namewee is being investigated under Section 295 of the Penal Code which concerns injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class.
The News Lens has been authorized to repost this article. The piece was first published on Malaysiakini.
(Launched on November 20, 1999, Malaysiakini.com offers daily news and views in English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil.)
First Editor: Edward White
Second Editor: J. Michael Cole
