Submit your forms, Rais tells Namewee

Information Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim today refused to be drawn into Wee Meng Chee's appeal for government funding for his 1Malaysia-themed movie.

"Write to us first, only then we will entertain his request," he said when met at the Parliament lobby today.

Rais said this when asked to comment on Wee's press conference yesterday, where he announced his intention to seek a grant from the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) to fund his new film.

Wee, popularly known as Namewee, said he was inspired to make a film about 1Malaysia because he identified with its eight core values and was vying for a grant under the RM200 million Creative Industry Fund announced in the Budget 2010 speech.

However, Wee, who produces exclusively Chinese material faces a snag in that his script must include "60 percent Malay content" in order to qualify for the grant.

Not one to be discouraged, Wee said he feels deserving of the grant because of the 1Malaysia spirit.

Wee's application will likely come under Rais' scrutiny, given the latter has been critical of Wee's earlier works.

Previously, Rais has threatened to take action against Wee for his videos posted on Youtube, among others, for his allegedly insulting the national anthem and for insulting government-owned utility Tenaga Nasional Bhd.

courtesy of Malaysiakini