Controversial Malaysian rapper Namewee has been remanded in custody in connection with the death of a Taiwanese influencer found dead in a Kuala Lumpur hotel bathtub two weeks ago.
Police say Namewee, 42, was the last person seen with 31-year-old Iris Hsieh, according to reports. She was in Malaysia to discuss a commercial video Namewee had agreed to direct, her social media manager told the BBC.
Namewee, who denies charges of illegal drug use and possession for which he was granted bail, is now back in custody to “assist in the investigation”, police said after reclassifying her death as murder.
He turned himself in early on Wednesday, his lawyer said, and has been put on remand for six days.
‘I won’t run away’
The case has gone through many twists in the last few days.
According to Malaysian media reports, Namewee contacted emergency services at 12:30 local time (05:30 GMT) on 22 October, after he found Hsieh unresponsive in the bathroom.
Police arrested Namewee that same day, after they found nine blue pills believed to be ecstasy in the hotel room.
Despite denying he had used drugs, Namewee tested positive for several illicit substances, including amphetamines, methamphetamine, ketamine, and THC, police said.
On Monday, he pleaded not guilty to the drug charges and was released on bail.
Namewee has maintained his innocence over the past few days and accused local media of “chasing shadows” with their reports on the case.
The singer, known for his satirical and profanity-laced music, has 3.6m subscribers on YouTube and 856,000 followers on Instagram. Singing in Mandarin, he is hugely popular in Taiwan and China.
Hsieh was previously featured in Namewee’s music video for China Reggaeton, a song he released in January 2020.
On Tuesday, Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus told reporters Namewee had “gone into hiding” after Hsieh’s case was reclassified from “sudden death” to murder.
At the same time, Mr Fadil said police were waiting for post-mortem and toxicology results to determine the cause of death.
In the early hours of Wednesday, Namewee posted a clip on Instagram saying he had arrived at the police station and would “fully co-operate with the police to provide answers to the public and the bereaved family”.
“I won’t run away,” he added.
Who is Namewee?
Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, has long courted controversy with his music.
Often seen wearing a beanie and sunglasses, he first gained popularity – and notoriety – in 2007 with his controversial remake of Malaysia’s national anthem, Negaraku, which mocked the government.
The music video quickly went viral on YouTube and authorities considered charging him with sedition, but did not proceed after he made a public apology and removed the clip.
In 2016, he was arrested for his music video Oh My God, which features him rapping in front of places of worship around Malaysia. Authorities said the song insulted Islam and jailed him for four days.
His 2021 song Fragile poked fun at “little pinks” – young nationalists who rush to the defence of the Chinese government on the internet – and took digs at several sensitive issues, from Xinjiang to Taiwan sovereignty.
That track went viral among Mandarin-speaking audiences, but was banned by China. Speaking to the BBC in 2021, Namewee said he saw the ban as “part of my creative work”.
“Some people think that my work is controversial, or that I have always been crossing the red line,” he said at the time. “Sometimes I intend to do so… If I think more people should know about certain issues, I want more people to care.”
Namewee has collaborated with other popular Mandarin artists, including Taiwanese rock duo Power Station and Chinese-Australian singer Kimberly Chen, and has been nominated three times for the best Mandarin male singer in Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards.
He has also ventured into filmmaking, both starring in and directing films, some of which have stirred controversy over their portrayals of race and religion.
Who is Iris Hsieh?
Compared to Namewee, Hsieh was not as famous across Asia, although she had a fairly strong following on social media and was known for posting photos of herself in revealing outfits.
Nicknamed the “nurse goddess” by her fans, she graduated from the Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology with a degree in nursing, according to China Press, a Mandarin newspaper published in Malaysia.
Hsieh rose to internet fame around 2019, Malaysian media reported, and released a personal photo album titled Angel Heart the next year.
She has about 545,000 followers on Instagram – her fifth account on the social media platform, after the last four were suspended for “adult sexual solicitation”, CNA reported.
She was also active on OnlyFans, where she started an account in 2022.
Hsieh’s social media manager, who asked only to be referred to as Chris, told the BBC that her family were unable to go to Malaysia to follow up on the case because of their “severe disabilities”.
They have instead hired legal representatives there to act on their behalf, he said.
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