Malaysia’s rich music culture part 3: Namewee: A Malaysian alter ego

Music as identity

Malaysian Taiwan-based expatriate Wee Meng Chee, known on stage as Namewee has articulately used the hip hop medium as a platform for social comment about Malaysian life, society, and politics.  Namewee was awarded the Best Male Vocal Mandarin Award at the Golden Melody Awards in 2016 and 2017.

Namewee became a household name in Malaysia after releasing a controversial song titled “Negarakuku.” “Negarakuku” was a clever rearrangement of the Malaysian national anthem. The government accused Namewee of disrespect for the national anthem.

A number of Namewee’s works making social comment have been very controversial. Some of these include, Nah!, criticising a school principal in Kulai, who was reported as making racist remarks during a school assembly, Undilah, encouraging Malaysians to vote at the next election, and collaborated on a music video with Taiwan-based Australian singer Kimberley Chen called Fragile, where both were banned from entering China.

In 2012, Namewee was one of the pioneers in starting a Youtube talk show, Namewee Tokok, expressing different perspectives on social and political life in Malaysia. Namewee’s YouTube song channel has more than 3.34 million subscribers. The site was hacked earlier this year and cleared of all material, which Namewee has manged to reload.

His latest song about Katak, or political frogs, with a cameo appearance by MUDA leader Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman had 1.2 million views within two days of being uploaded.

Namewee made a number of feature films, including Nasi Lemak 2.0, and Petaling Street Warriors.

Issues with authorities

After making a music video, Oh My God, the police arrested Namewee at KLIA in August 2016 for insulting Islam. In 2018, Namewee was arrested for to facilitate investigations of his music video, Like a Dog, filmed in front of the Prime Minister’s office, Perdana Putra.

Namewee has been able to look at not only Malaysian culture, but that around the region and project it in a humorous frame, that in some ways makes us all appreciate it more.

Namewee has taken the American 70s style political commentary that was very much part of the music scene into Mandarin hip hop. Namewee is very much an alter ego for many Malaysians through his satire of Malaysian society and politics. His message is plain and simple.

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