KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 – Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin accused controversial song writer Wee Meng Chee today with suggesting Chinese Malaysians were solely responsible for the country’s wealth.

Khairy said that while Wee, better known as Namewee, claimed he was only railing against the allegedly racist remarks made a Johor school principal against the Chinese and Indian communities, the song writer and rapper had been equally racist in his latest video which he had posted on Youtube.

“In the ‘song’, which begins with him colourfully expressing his disdain for racists, Namewee exposes himself as the racist when he says ‘You tak baca? Siapa buat Malaysia kaya?’, the implication being that the Chinese are the reason for Malaysia’s prosperity and as such Malays like Siti Inshah (Mansor) have no business asking the Chinese to ‘return’ to China,” Khairy (picture) said in a blog post today.

The Rembau MP argued that Wee could have just as easily conveyed the same message without resorting to the suggestion that a particular ethnic group had contributed more or less.

“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,” he said in a statement, adding that Wee’s latest video suggested that his apology to Malaysians over the infamous “Negarakuku” song in 2007 had not been genuine.

Namewee recently posted a YouTube video containing trademark utterances of vulgarities and obscenities in response to the government’s apparent inaction over SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra principal Siti Inshah Mansor’s allegedly racist remarks.

“Chinese students are not needed here and can return to China or Foon Yew schools. For the Indian students, the prayer string tied around their neck and wrist makes them look like dogs because only dogs are tied like that,” Siti Inshah was quoted as saying in at least one police report.

Wee removed the video from the video sharing site following a public uproar.

However, he has denied that he is racist, and even claimed yesterday that he was the personification of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia when presenting himself to the police yesterday.

Wee is under investigation for allegedly producing a seditious music video.

Arguing that Malaysians could not allow “disempathy” to feed on itself, Khairy said racism was never the correct response to racism as this allowed extremists on both sides to perpetuate a vicious cycle.

“Just as Namewee’s video was the wrong response to the Siti Inshah issue, somewhere out there someone is saying that all Chinese should be eternally grateful to the Malays for granting them citizenship ... 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.

He stressed that it was up to moderate Malaysians to transcend racial or political affiliation and speak out consistently against extremism and racism or any kind, claiming that with consistency came credibility.

“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 Barisan Nasional. But because he was explicitly insulting ... And if you, too, call yourself a moderate Malaysian, this is your acid test.”