Malaysian rapper Namewee has been released on police bail after being detained as part of the murder investigation into Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh. The 42-year-old, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, had been in custody since 5 November, following the reclassification of Hsieh's death as a homicide.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus confirmed that Namewee was released on bail until 26 November. The investigation papers will be referred to the deputy public prosecutor once the postmortem report is obtained. Namewee's lawyer, Joshua Tay, said the rapper was released at 3.45pm local time on Thursday.
Malaysia's attorney-general Dusuki Mokhtar stated on Wednesday that no evidence had been found linking Namewee to Hsieh's death. “So far, there is no evidence that shows the suspect was involved in causing the influencer’s death,” he said, adding that further investigation would be conducted.
Namewee discovered Hsieh unresponsive in a bathtub in Kuala Lumpur and performed CPR before calling emergency services at around 12.30pm on 22 October. Hsieh, 31, had arrived in Malaysia two days earlier to collaborate on a video project with Namewee. The cause of her death remains unclear, with police awaiting autopsy and toxicology results.
Namewee has also been charged with drug possession and use after blue pills believed to be ecstasy were found in his hotel room and a urine test returned positive for multiple substances. He denies using or possessing drugs and has denied any involvement in Hsieh's death, claiming the ambulance took nearly an hour to arrive.
