In their attacks against the student and threatening him with the Sedition Act, Umno is also seeking to incite its members and Malays into a patriotic frenzy over the issue, opposition leaders claimed.

PAS and DAP leaders were commenting on the announcement yesterday that the cabinet had decided not to accept the public apology by Wee Meng Chee for his 'Negarakuku' rap that was posted on video website YouTube last month.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said Wee could be charged because he had insulted the symbol of the nation.

While Nazri said that the cabinet had refused to accept Wee's apology , Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi however argued that the apology could be accepted but the law would still have to take its course.

Chair of PAS national unity bureau Mujahid Yusuf Rawa said the decision smacks of an attempt to shore up support for Umno by diverting attention from bigger and more damaging scandals that have hit the Barisan Nasional coalition.

"This young man Wee has now become the nation's number one enemy, guilty of sedition, taking priority over issues of corruption and cronyism as in the case of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) and the Nuri helicopters issue," he said when contacted.

Wee, who is studying mass communications in Ming Chuan University in Taiwan, ruffled feathers with his parody of Negaraku, which he entitled Negarakuku.

The rap, which was done in Mandarin and Hokkien, received thousands of comments, many of which said Wee had insulted Islam and incited racial hatred.

Real perpetrators

Mujahid said the authorities should have merely explained why Wee's "naughty" and ill-thought antic was inappropriate and accepted his apology made earlier this week.

"It's ridiculous. Umno is trying to capitalise on the issue to instigate racial feelings among Malays and taking attention away from the bigger problems that it is facing.

"PAS hopes this (move to charge Wee) will be stopped immediately as it is not a national security issue," he said.

He also said the real perpetrators of racial incitement include those within Umno who, while waving a dagger have issued thinly-veiled threats against other races or otherwise cast aspersions on minority communities.

Mujahid was referring to an incident two years ago where Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein, brandished a keris during the party's general assembly and called on Malays to rally behind Malay supremacy.

"Police reports have been made against those persons who really did issue statements that were inciting racial unrest. It is these people who should apologise or have action taken against them," said Mujahid.

Political mileage

Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Malaysians from all races abhor the abuse of the legal machinery to persecute an ordinary university student "by appealing to baser instincts of patriotism."

"The only party stirring up the issue with provocative and inflammatory threats of May 13 is Umno. (That) There is no such tension as imagined by Umno is due to the fact that Wee is neither a politician nor a member of any political party but a university student in Taiwan whose rap video does not have great significance in Malaysia's political milieu," he said in a statement.

"Clearly Umno is making a mountain out of a molehill to gain extra political mileage before the coming general elections. DAP warns Umno that this is a dangerous game to play and Umno, MCA, Gerakan and BN have to be fully responsible for any consequences," he added.

Lim also wondered how government figures, who had earlier expressed acceptance of Wee's apology, could suddenly turn around to say they have not forgiven him for his 'sin'.

"The mind is boggled as to how an apology can be accepted and yet not be forgiven, insisting instead that action be taken? Or is this another Malaysia Boleh logic?" he asked.

DAP has vowed to assemble a legal team made up of its lawyers and those from non-governmental organisations in the event Wee is prosecuted.