A Malaysian court remanded popular rapper Namewee in custody on Monday, his lawyer said, part of a murder investigation looking into the death of a Tawainese influencer in a Kuala Lumpur hotel room.
Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, handed himself over to police on Wednesday after he was named a “person of interest” in the probe into the death of Iris Hsieh, also known as Hsieh Yu-hsin, or “nurse goddess” to fans.
The 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 told the BBC.
The probe was reclassified from a “sudden death report” to a murder case, with police saying they wanted to question Namewee, believed to have been the last person in Hsieh’s company.
Namewee, 42, has denied any wrongdoing and said in an Instagram post earlier this month that “the truth will speak for itself.”
His lawyer, Joshua Tay, told AFP that “the investigation is still ongoing and this is why the police is asking for an extension of the remand,” which he said the court granted for another three days.
Malaysian media reported Namewee contacted emergency services shortly after midnight on October 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.
On Monday, he pleaded not guilty to the drug charges and was released on bail, the BBC reported.
Namewee, an outspoken hip-hop artist, actor and filmmaker, is hugely popular in China and Taiwan. He sings mainly in Mandarin.
SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images 
Known for his trademark beanie and often wearing sunglasses, Namewee was blacklisted by Beijing in 2021 after he penned a Mandarin song poking fun at Chinese nationalists.
The track hit more than 30 million views on YouTube.
Namewee has also repeatedly been at the center of controversy in Malaysia, which he hails from.
In 2007, he released “Negarakuku,” a parody of the Malaysian national anthem which sparked outrage due to its flippant lyrics.
In 2016, he was detained for several days for allegedly insulting Islam over a video partly filmed inside a mosque in the Muslim-majority country.
He was arrested again two years later again for allegedly insulting Islam with a Lunar New Year video that featured dancers wearing dog masks and performing suggestive moves.
Hsieh has over 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”.
