Wee Meng Chee
Encyclopedia
- Namewee is a nickname for this person.
Wee Meng Chee or Namewee; (born May 6, 1983 in Muar
Muar (district)
Muar District is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. The name "Muar" is also used for the name of its district, which formerly sub-divided between the Town of Muar and the sub-district of Tangkak. Tangkak sub-district has been upgraded into a full district known as Ledang District in year...
, Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
) is a Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
of Hainanese descent. He is fondly and widely known under his alias nickname Namewee, a bilingual pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on his Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
name , which sounds like the Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
term for name .
Wee gained popularity after releasing a controversial song fused with the national anthem of Malaysia, Negaraku
Negaraku
"Negaraku" is the national anthem of Malaysia. "Negaraku" was selected as a national anthem at the time of the Federation of Malaya's independence from Britain in 1957. The tune was originally used as the state anthem of Perak, which was adopted from a popular French melody titled "La Rosalie"...
, which describes what he thinks of the state of the country and its government. In the following weeks, the song increasingly drew both praise and criticism from various quarters of Malaysian society.
Biography
Born and raised in the town of MuarMuar (town)
Muar, also known as Bandar Maharani is a town geopolitically situated in Muar District in the region or area of Muar in northwestern Johor, Malaysia...
, Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
, Malaysia, Wee was educated in SRJK Chung Hwa 1B and Chung Hwa High School. He was an undergraduate student majoring in Mass Communication
Mass communication
Mass communication is the term used to describe the academic study of the various means by which individuals and entities relay information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time...
at Ming Chuan University
Ming Chuan University
Ming Chuan University is a selective private university founded by Pao Teh-Ming and her husband Lee Ying-Chao. Named after the famous progressive Qing Dynasty governor of Taiwan Liu Mingchuan, it is known for its communication and business programs.-History:The institution was founded as a three...
in Taoyuan, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
While in secondary school, he composed his first 500 songs. Around the same time, Wee and a few good friends formed a band named "大娘乐队" and won several competitions.
While studying abroad, Wee composed and performed hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
in various languages. He had also released several songs, along with complementary music videos on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, which include Muar's Mandarin and Kawanku (literally, Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
for My friends), the latter being a critical song directed at Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
, Malays and Singaporeans.
Despite the controversy surrounding Negarakuku, Wee released his first, self-titled album, 明志 Namewee, in Malaysia on September 3, 2007. The album was completed in May and does not contain Negarakuku.
Negarakuku
Wee's sudden rise to stardom is the result of his highly controversial piece - I Love My Country Negarakuku (Visit Malaysia 2007 Theme Song) ('). Wee was studying in Taiwan when he released the song.The song consists of two major components: rapping
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, which is exclusively composed and performed by Wee, and Negaraku
Negaraku
"Negaraku" is the national anthem of Malaysia. "Negaraku" was selected as a national anthem at the time of the Federation of Malaya's independence from Britain in 1957. The tune was originally used as the state anthem of Perak, which was adopted from a popular French melody titled "La Rosalie"...
, which is split into three segments between the rapping and sung out in groups of two or three verses. While the national anthem sung in an R&B style, Wee had no intention of altering the melody and lyrics of the anthem and had tried to retain the anthem's original theme and meaning. The arrangement used by Wee follows original arrangement of the anthem, which the Malaysian government had since altered three times. The rap was in Mandarin, with occasional Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
phrases and words, while verses of the national anthem are sung in their original Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
form.
In the beginning of the song, Wee dedicates the song to "all Malaysians, especially the Government". Negarakuku covers elements of daily lives in Malaysia from Wee's perspective, including police corruption, inefficient public services and biased government policies. His song also refers to Muslims' call
Adhan
The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....
for the earliest of their five daily prayers as a "morning call" which would wake him up at 5 a.m. ("早上五点, 还有 morning call 会叫我起床") and also as "what sounds like a love song that ululates in an R&B fashion, when many sing together" ("有时几间一起唱, 听起来好像情歌对唱, 声音拗来拗去像唱 R&B 一样"). Moreover, the song also points to the alleged laid-back lifestyle of Malays (who are mostly Muslims), referring to them as people who "cover their heads and cross the road slowly" ("他们把头包起来, 慢慢走慢慢过马路").
A lower audio and video quality music video for the song was uploaded to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
by Wee on July 15, 2007, featuring a montage of photographs of Malaysia, a Visit Malaysia 2007
Tourism in Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in South-East Asia, located partly on a peninsula of the Asian mainland and partly on the northern third of the island of Borneo. West Malaysia shares a border with Thailand, is connected by a causeway and a bridge to the island state of Singapore, and has coastlines on the...
video and a video of Wee rapping against the backdrop of a Malaysian flag
Flag of Malaysia
-Flag anthem:The Jalur Gemilang flag anthem was introduced in 1997. The lyrics were written by Pak Ngah.-Original lyrics:-Flag anthem:The Jalur Gemilang flag anthem was introduced in 1997. The lyrics were written by Pak Ngah.-Original lyrics:-Flag anthem:...
. The video ends depicting both a Chinese caption thanking unnamed parties for videos and images provided for the montage, and an English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
/Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
caption pleading viewers not to be sue him as he has no money ("please don't sue me, saya takde duit"). The video was removed by Wee amid pressure on July 23, 2007, but copies of the video, including one with English and Malay subtitles of the song's Chinese lyrics, are still available on the site. The videos received an average of over 100,000 hits; a duplicate version of Wee's original video, uploaded in the middle of July 2007, received a total of 1.4 million hits as of early September 2007.
Reception
Public reaction towards the song is split. Immediate reactions in the form of YouTube comments range from being critical, in fair agreement, support, attacks and threats towards Wee, to racist remarks directed towards both Chinese people and Malay people in general.Official criticism of the song was primarily centered around the song's anti-government undertones, which resulted in comments by members of the Malaysian parliament to take action on him. However, as Wee was in a foreign country, he was out of Malaysia's jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
.
Accusation of disrespect towards Islam and Malay people were brought up by Malay tabloid Harian Metro
Harian Metro
Harian Metro is a Malaysian newspaper published in Malay language and available in the afternoon. It was launched on 25 March 1991. A Sunday edition, Metro Ahad was launched on August 19, 1995.The format of the newspaper is tabloid...
, claiming that Wee's song had mocked Islam and the mindset of Malay people. Wee disputes this claim by stating that the paper, as well as several Malaysian news channels, fail to objectively report facts, resulting in misunderstandings of his song. His comments were further directed at Metro, claiming that the paper did not understand the implicit meaning of his song's lyrics before concluding its nature. He added the paper had not provided any translations of the song, Mandarin and Hokkien not being widely used among the Malay-speaking community, resulting in their dependence on local media channels for interpretations of the song.
In an August 9, 2007 telephone interview from Taiwan, Wee clarified that the song was merely reflecting satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
of life in Malaysia as himself as a local Chinese, and added humorous remarks solely for the pleasure of the Chinese community. Wee posted a blog entry typed in both Malay and Traditional Chinese
Traditional Chinese character
Traditional Chinese characters refers to Chinese characters in any character set which does not contain newly created characters or character substitutions performed after 1946. It most commonly refers to characters in the standardized character sets of Taiwan, of Hong Kong, or in the Kangxi...
on August 12, in an attempt to clarify the nature of his song and its lyrics.
On August 14, 2007 (and later, on August 16 on his blog), Wee issued a public apology to the government and Malaysians who found it offensive. While the Malaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that represents the Malaysian Chinese ethnicity; it is one of the three major component parties of the ruling coalition in Malaysia called the Barisan Nasional in Malay, or National Front in English.Along with the largest...
accepted Wee's apology with Zainuddin Maidin, Malaysia's Minister of Information, urging Malaysians to do the same, the cabinet
Cabinet of Malaysia
The Cabinet of Malaysia is the executive branch of Malaysia's government. Led by the Prime Minister, the cabinet is a council of ministers who are accountable collectively to the Parliament. According to the Article 43 of the Constitution, members of the Cabinet can only be selected from members...
rejected Wee's apology; Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz is a Malaysian politician from the United Malays National Organisation , and is a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of parliamentary affairs. In June 2005 Nazri caused controversy when he shouted the phrase "bloody racist" 28...
added that "the law will take its course." Other actions voiced by the government include bringing Wee to court, probably under the Sedition Act
Sedition Act (Malaysia)
The Sedition Act in Malaysia is a law prohibiting discourse deemed as seditious. The act was originally enacted by the colonial authorities of British Malaya in 1948...
, as he had insulted the symbol of the nation, and further action against YouTube.
On August 21, 2007 the Home Minister
Ministry of Home Affairs (Malaysia)
Ministry of Home Affairs in Malaysia is a Malaysian government ministry in charge of domestic affairs such as public safety, civil defence and immigration.- British colony :...
issued a gag order
Gag order
A gag order is an order, sometimes a legal order by a court or government, other times a private order by an employer or other institution, restricting information or comment from being made public.Gag orders are often used against participants involved in a lawsuit or criminal trial...
on all mainstream media to cease reporting on Wee. No major presses or television channels in Malaysia has covered Wee or Negarakuku since then.
Following his return to Malaysia in 2008 to celebrate National Day on August 31, Wee was summoned by the Royal Malaysian Police
Royal Malaysian Police
The Royal Malaysia Police is a part of the security forces structure in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organization with responsibilities ranging from traffic control to intelligence gathering. Its headquarters is located at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur. The police force is led by an...
to attend a questioning on September 23. After the interview, Wee claimed that the police wanted to close the file on the matter and that he did not think that there would be any action taken against him. However, the police later stated Wee was being investigated under the Sedition Act and the matter would be referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor.
Other notable works
A small controversy erupted when a three-parted video called "邱老師 ABC 時間", directed by Wee was released. In the video, a close friend of Wee, known as "邱老師" introduces the English alphabet from an adult-oriented perspective. It soon became notorious from its heavy use of profanity as well as orgasm sounds, and the board of directors of Chung Hwa High School decided to sue Wee, as the video was filmed in the school compound, but the lawsuit was later dropped.In July 2009, Namewee composed the theme and ending songs for the latest Singaporean film 'Where Got Ghost?
Where Got Ghost?
Where Got Ghost? is a Singaporean omnibus comedy horror film directed by Jack Neo and Boris Boo. This film is Jack Neo's first attempt with horror flicks.-Plot:...
' which was released on 13 August 2009.
He acted as the principal cast in "Potong Saga" and as the supporting cast in "Meter".
Namewee also made a video clip in the late of October 2009, entitled 'Namewee fuck TNB 停電了!黃明志大鬧國家能源局'. In the video, Namewee's house and Muar
Muar (town)
Muar, also known as Bandar Maharani is a town geopolitically situated in Muar District in the region or area of Muar in northwestern Johor, Malaysia...
suffer a blackout at night, but the local TNB (Tenaga Nasional Berhad
Tenaga Nasional
Tenaga Nasional Berhad is the largest Electric utility company in Malaysia and also the largest power company in Southeast Asia with MYR 69.8 billion worth of assets. It serves over seven million customers throughout Peninsular Malaysia and also the eastern state of Sabah through Sabah Electricity...
) branch office remains lit, and his brother would be sitting for the examinations the next day, so Wee went to TNB to look for answers, but the ensuing quarrel led the security guards to escort him out of the facility. After that, Wee scolded TNB and told them to 'go back to sleep'. The ending song is dedicated to attacking TNB, parodically insulting 'TNB' ('Tenaga Nasional Berhad') as "Tiu Nia Bu".
In May 2010, Wee made a music video of himself and his friends (include "邱老師"), to celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup by playing soccer with women.
On August 26, 2010, Wee made a new music video posting on YouTube criticizing a school principal in Kulaijaya who was reported to have made racist remarks during a school assembly on August 12, 2010. The clip contained obscene language condemning the school principal and the Education Ministry. However, Wee was asked to give statement in Kuala Lumpur police station and also Cyberjaya Investigation Unit for two times later.
In October 2010, Namewee was officially invited to attend the world famous Busan Film Festival in South Korea .
Another music video 'I AM WHO I AM' (我還是我).
In August 2011, his first movie "Nasi Lemak 2.0
Nasi Lemak 2.0
Nasi Lemak 2.0 is a film by Namewee. The film had a low budget, since the government did not provide funding. Wee spent nearly a year applying for loans...
辣死你妈" is announced to be released in September 8, 2011 in Malaysia theatres.
In September 2011, a public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
video titled "Undilah" encouraging Malaysian citizens to vote was released by Pete Teo. Namewee composed part of the music and rap lyrics as well as appearing in the video, which featured various other local celebrities and politicians.
On 1 December 2011, his second movie "Petaling Street Warriors
Petaling Street Warriors
Petaling Street Warriors is a film directed by James Lee Thim Heng and Sampson Yuen Choi-Hin through Malaysian production company, Juita Entertainment, a subsidiary of Juita Viden...
" will be released.
External links
Official- 我的名字叫明志, Wee Meng Chee's blog
- Namewee website by NameWee Production, Taipei
Unofficial
- Vote for Wee Meng Chee fansite
Negarakuku
- Negarakuku on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
(with English subtitles, and with Malay subtitles) - 7 Edition news snippet from ntv7Ntv7Natseven TV Sdn Bhd or better known as ntv7 is a terrestrial television channel in Malaysia. It was launched nationwide on 7 April 1998 and was the country's third private free-to-air TV station after TV3 and Astro. Its mission is to promote a happier and more enlightened Malaysia...
on YouTube, featuring Syed Hamid AlbarSyed Hamid AlbarTan Sri Syed Hamid bin Syed Jaafar Albar , is a Malaysian politician and the former Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs. He is currently the chairman of the Land Public Transport Commission. He is also a member of the United Malays National Organisation , part of the ruling Barisan Nasional...
, Malaysia's Foreign Minister, commenting Wee's matter will not be taken lightly and an apology will not be accepted. - 7 Edition news snippet from ntv7 on YouTube, featuring a statement by Fu Ah Kiow, Malaysia's Deputy Internal Security Minister, on "negative elements" in Wee's song.
Lyrics