Malaysian rapper Namewee detained in murder investigation of Taiwanese influencer

Malaysian Rapper Namewee Detained in Connection with Taiwanese Influencer’s Death

Malaysian authorities have detained popular ethnic Chinese rapper and filmmaker Wee Meng Chee, known professionally as Namewee, as part of an investigation into the death of Taiwanese social media influencer Hsieh Yu-hsin.

Namewee surrendered to police early Wednesday and will remain in custody for six days, according to his lawyer Joshua Tay. The detention comes after police reclassified Hsieh’s case as a murder investigation following the discovery of new evidence that authorities have not yet disclosed to the public.

Hsieh, 31, who had amassed more than 500,000 Instagram followers and maintained an OnlyFans account, was found dead in a hotel bathtub in Kuala Lumpur on October 22. Local media reports indicate that investigators identified Namewee as the last person seen with Hsieh before her death. The 42-year-old rapper was briefly detained at that time and faced separate charges of drug possession and use, allegations he has firmly denied.

The influencer, affectionately known as “Nurse Goddess” by her fans due to her previous profession as a nurse, had arrived in Malaysia just two days before her death on October 20 and was scheduled to stay in the country for four days. Authorities are currently awaiting the full post-mortem and toxicology reports before officially announcing the cause of death.

In an Instagram post following his surrender, Namewee expressed deep sorrow over Hsieh’s death while maintaining his innocence. He pledged to cooperate fully with investigators to provide answers to both the public and Hsieh’s family regarding the circumstances of her death.

“I hope that the investigation will be carried out thoroughly and with the utmost objectivity and fairness,” said Tay, representing the artist.

This latest controversy adds to Namewee’s history of legal troubles stemming from his provocative artistic expression. The outspoken artist has been arrested and questioned numerous times for his satirical content addressing sensitive topics in Malaysian society including politics, race, and religion. Throughout these controversies, he has consistently defended his artistic freedom, maintaining that his work uses satire to highlight important social issues in Malaysia.

Namewee first attracted controversy in 2007 with a video mocking Malaysia’s national anthem that critics said contained racial slurs. His 2014 film faced a government ban for allegedly portraying national agencies negatively. In 2016, he was detained after complaints from Malay Islamic activists regarding his “Oh My God” music video, which was filmed at various places of worship and used the word “Allah.” Though Namewee stated the video aimed to promote religious tolerance, it sparked significant backlash.

In 2018, authorities again detained the artist over a music video featuring dancers in dog masks performing what officials described as “obscene” moves that allegedly insulted Islam and threatened racial harmony—particularly sensitive in Malaysia where Muslims comprise approximately two-thirds of the country’s 34 million population and dogs are traditionally considered unclean in Islamic teachings.

The rapper’s controversies have extended beyond Malaysia’s borders. In 2021, China banned Namewee and Australian singer Kimberley Chen from entering the country after they released a song mocking Chinese nationalists and addressing sensitive topics like Taiwan’s sovereignty. Chinese authorities subsequently removed their music from all platforms within the country.

As the investigation into Hsieh’s death continues, it represents another chapter in Namewee’s contentious career, which has repeatedly placed him at odds with authorities while cementing his reputation as one of Malaysia’s most controversial yet influential artists.