A Taiwan-based Malaysian student on Tuesday apologised for a YouTube video that authorities here said seditiously mocked the national anthem, state media reported.

Wee Meng Chee, 24, a mass communication student at Ming Chuan University, made the apology in a 30-minute telephone conversation with health minister Chua Soi Lek, Bernama news agency said.

"I contacted him (Wee) this morning and he wanted to apologise openly to the government and the people of Malaysia for the song which had sparked a controversy," Chua said.

"He said he didn't mean to ridicule or tarnish the good image of the country, the Negaraku (national anthem) or Islam," he said.

Wee, known as Namewee to his followers on the Internet, triggered a national debate on censorship last week with his six-minute video rap on YouTube that has been viewed by over half a million people.

The rap was to the tune of the national anthem and was in a mixture of Mandarin and Bahasa. It contained lyrics that the government said touched on racially sensitive issues while also portraying Malaysian police as corrupt extortionists.

Police earlier said they may prosecute Wee under the Sedition Act, which is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of 5,000 ringgit.

The threat caused an uproar among activists who accused Malaysia of trampling on rights to free expression.

Chua said government should accept Wee's apology "in good faith," adding that the student was only trying to be creative.

"We also have to bear in mind that this is a young man who has not even finished his tertiary education and we should not pass harsh judgment," Chua said.