KJ nails down contentious line in Namewee's song

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin believes that Wee Meng Chee @ Namewee's overt insinuation that Malays played a minor role in Malaysia's economic growth was racist in nature.

The lyrics to the song ‘Nah' which had landed Wee into trouble with the police contains a line in Malay which reads: "You tak baca ? Siapa buat Malaysia kaya ?" (Don't you know? Who made Malaysia prosperous?)

In a statement today, Khairy ( right ) said that Wee's assertion in attempt to criticise school principal Siti Inshah Mansor for recently uttering racial remarks against Malaysia's minorities were inapproriate.

"The implication (here is) that the Chinese are the reason for Malaysia's prosperity and as such Malays like Siti Inshah have no business asking the Chinese to ‘return' to China.

"The same message could have easily been conveyed by stating that no one should be telling anyone else to ‘return' because Malaysia belongs to all its citizens without suggesting that a particular ethnic group has contributed more or less," he said.

‘Malays not being too sensitive'

Khairy argued that Wee's actions has instead now exposed himself as a racist.

"Now, my position on the Siti Inshah matter is crystal clear. If she did utter the words as claimed, she should be severely punished.

"But let there be no doubt, Namewee's insinuation that the Chinese are solely responsible for this country's growth is just as blatantly offensive.

"Neither is it a question of Malays being too sensitive. Hurt and anger are to be expected when one community is essentially told they play a minimal role in this country's progress," added Khairy.

Citing an example on how Wee's ( left ) argument was counterproductive, Khairy said others may be inclined to say that the Chinese should be eternally grateful to the Malays for their citizenship.

"He or she would be mistaken of course, but the point is we cannot allow dis-empathy to feed on itself. We cannot let this vicious cycle go on in perpetuity.

"We cannot play the game of the extremists and the racists on both sides of the spectrum if we are to forge a better path than what they offer," he said.

We know he won't vote BN, but...

"I am utterly against extremism, dis-empathy, insensitivity and racism of any kind - I have spoken out against the likes of Perkasa, Al-Islam magazine and Siti Inshah, often at great political risk.

"And today I am speaking out against Namewee, not because of his race, religion or even the probability that he will not vote BN. But because he was explicitly insulting."

Wee's latest video has sparked a deluge of complaints and slew of police reports.

Last night, he was grilled for nearly three hours at a police station in Petaling Jaya where his statements were recorded.

According to the police, Wee is being investigated for sedition.