Malaysian rapper Namewee was released on bail Thursday after the musician was named a “person of interest” in an investigation into the death of a Taiwanese influencer, police said.
Namewee, whose birth name is Wee Meng Chee, was released until November 26 pending the results of an autopsy of Iris Hsieh, also known as Hsieh Yu-hsin or “nurse goddess” to fans, Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said in a statement.
The musician has maintained his innocence, denying any wrongdoing and said in an Instagram post earlier this month that “the truth will speak for itself.”
Following the autopsy, the investigation will be referred back to the deputy public prosecutor’s office, Marsus added. Authorities did not offer the amount of the bail.
Hsieh, a 31-year-old influencer, was found dead on October 22 in a bathtub at a high-end hotel in the Malaysian capital. She was in Malaysia to discuss a commercial video Namewee had agreed to direct, her social media manager previously told the BBC.
Namewee, 42, is believed to have been the last person with Hsieh before she died, police said.
Namewee, an actor, filmmaker and outspoken hip-hop artist who mainly sings in Mandarin, has found success in China and Taiwan.
SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images
Known for his trademark beanie, which on occasion he pairs with sunglasses, Namewee was blacklisted by Beijing in 2021 after he penned a Mandarin song mocking Chinese nationalists — that amassed more than 30 million views on YouTube.
Namewee is no stranger to controversy, however, sparking widespread criticism in his home country over the 2007 release of “Negarakuku”, a parody of the Malaysian national anthem.
He was also detained in Malaysia in 2016 for several days after he allegedly insulted Islam in a video partly filmed inside a mosque in the Muslim-majority country. Namewee insisted the video for the song “Oh My God” was intended to promote religious harmony, the BBC reported at the time.
Just two years later, he was arrested again for insulting Islam with a Lunar New Year video that featured dancers wearing dog masks and performing suggestive moves.
Malaysian media reported Namewee contacted emergency services shortly after midnight on Oct. 22 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, the BBC reported. Namewee denied he had used drugs but tested positive for several illicit substances, including amphetamines, methamphetamine, ketamine and THC, police said, according to the BBC.
He pleaded not guilty to the drug charges, the BBC reported.
Hsieh has over half a million followers on Instagram. She had four other social media accounts suspended for “adult sexual solicitation,” CNA reported.
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.”
