Penang Police Chief Comm Abdul Ghafar Rajab said Tuesday police wanted to arrest the Malaysian independent entertainer but that he was not in the country now.
He said Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, was being sought, together with three other individuals believed to be foreigners, in connection to the video. He declined to reveal their nationalities.
“We have identified all those involved in the video, including the publisher,” he said, adding that Namewee was among them.
Abdul Ghafar was speaking to reporters after a ceremony to welcome new Penang Narcotics Department chief Supt Maidu Abu Bakar at the Penang Police headquarters here.
Maidu takes over from Supt Guan Beng Kong who begins duties as Kuala Lumpur Narcotics Department head on Aug 15.
Abdul Ghafar said police were aware of Namewee’s two home addresses in Johor and Kuala Lumpur.
“We will arrest him and conduct further investigations once he returns to Malaysia,” he said.
George Town district police chief Mior Faridalathrash Wahid had told the press on July 29 that an investigation was being done under Section 295 of the Penal Code, which covers the offence of “injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class.”
It is punishable upon conviction with imprisonment of up to two years or a fine or both.
The police action comes on the heels of a report lodged on July 27 at the George Town District Police Headquarters by the chairperson of the Floating Mosque in Tanjung Bungah. The mosque is so called as it is built on a pier along Penang island’s northern coastline.
According to Mior, the complainant said the video contained scenes of four males “behaving indecently” by dancing and singing in a mosque which the complainant believed is the Floating Mosque.
About ten more reports were subsequently lodged by representatives of 20 local NGOs at the George Town headquarters on July 30.
Besides allegedly featuring the mosque, the music video also includes scenes shot in and around a church as well as Hindu, Taoist and Buddhist temples, all believed to be in Penang.
Abdul Ghafar said most of these centres of worship had been identified and police were getting statements from parties related to the sites.
Police have taken four statements thus far from individuals who lodged reports, he added.
According to a report in The Star on July 24, Namewee explained in another video called “Tokok” that “Oh My God!” is intended to promote “harmony within all religions.”