Kuala Lumpur - Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the national anthem is sacrosanct and cannot be tampered with. Wee Chee Ming has changed d the Negaraku and has aroused strong resentment among the Malay community.
Regarding reactions from some UMNO leaders who had called for stripping Wee‘s citizenship and to use the Internal Security Act on him while the Chinese community feels uneasy and dissatisfied with their actions, Najib said the government does not insist on punishing Wee. Wee has made a public apology after the issue. However, the incident has happened and the government has left it to the proper authorities to determine if Wee should be punished.
Najib cited the example of Thailand where Thais respect their national anthem very much. They play their anthem in public places everyday. They will stop work and stand to attention whnever the anthem is played. If they do not respect the anthem, they will be treated miserably. In other countries, the people will also be condemned if they do not respect their anthem. No excuse can be used for amending national anthem, he pointed out.
Source: e.sinchew-i.com (21 September 2007)
