Malaysian rapper Namewee drug case hearings postponed after he falls ill with Influenza A
Court proceedings in two drug cases involving Malaysian rapper Namewee were postponed on 18 December after he was certified ill with Influenza A, with new mention dates fixed for 22 December and 19 January.
- Hearings in two drug-related cases involving rapper Namewee were postponed after he fell ill with Influenza A.
- The prosecution confirmed that the chemist report has been completed, but the defence has yet to receive it.
- The drug charges are separate from investigations into the death of influencer Hsieh Yu-hsin in October.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Proceedings in two drug-related cases involving Malaysian rapper Namewee were postponed on 18 December 2025 after the musician was reported to have fallen ill.
The postponement was granted by two Magistrate’s Courts in Kuala Lumpur following submissions from his defence counsel that Namewee had contracted Influenza A.
Namewee’s lawyer, Joshua Tay, informed Magistrates Atiqah Saim and S Arunjothy in separate proceedings that his client was unable to attend court.
He said the bailor had provided a three-day medical certificate from a private hospital, accompanied by a medical report confirming the diagnosis.
“Therefore, I ask for this case to be given another short date,” Tay told the courts during the mentions on 18 December.
Deputy public prosecutors Vivi’ Asnitha Zaina’ Larifin and Izzat Amir Idham appeared for the prosecution in the respective proceedings.
The courts subsequently fixed 22 December 2025 and 19 January 2026 as new mention dates for the two cases.
Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, is currently out on bail of RM4,000 (approximately US$978).
Tay also informed the local media that the prosecution had confirmed the completion of the chemist report related to the drug charges.
According to Tay, the deputy public prosecutor conveyed earlier in the day that the chemist analysis had been finalised.
However, the defence has yet to receive a copy of the report and was therefore unable to confirm its findings.
A chemist report typically determines whether an accused person tested positive or negative for specific substances.
Namewee facing two separate drug-related charges
Namewee was charged on 24 October 2025 on two separate drug-related counts.
The first charge involves the alleged possession of 5.12g of ecstasy in a hotel room on the 55th floor of a building along Jalan Conlay in Kuala Lumpur.
The alleged offence was said to have occurred at about 4.30pm on 22 October 2025.
If convicted, the offence carries a penalty of between two and five years’ imprisonment and between three and nine strokes of the cane.
The second charge accuses Namewee of self-administering amphetamine, methamphetamine, tetrahydrocannabinol and ketamine.
This allegedly took place at the toilet of the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters at about 7.15pm on the same day.
Upon conviction, the offence carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 (approximately US$1,223), imprisonment of up to two years, and supervision for a period of between two and three years.
The drug charges are linked to wider investigations following the death of influencer Hsieh Yu-hsin, also known as Iris Hsieh.
Hsieh was found dead in a bathtub at a hotel along Jalan Conlay on 22 October 2025.
Her death initially was classified as sudden before being reclassified as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Namewee was reportedly present in the hotel room when the incident occurred.
On 5 November, at about 2am, he surrendered himself at the Dang Wangi police headquarters.
His remand was initially set to end on 10 November but was later extended by three days to 13 November.
Under Malaysian law, police must either charge or release a suspect after the expiry of a second remand period.
A day before his release, Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar said there were no leads connecting Namewee to Hsieh’s death.
Namewee describes trauma of witnessing Iris Hsieh’s death
After being released on police bail, Namewee posted on Facebook on 14 November, stating that he had tried to save Hsieh but was unable to change the outcome.
He also said police conducted multiple statement recordings using various investigative methods, which he described as meticulous and professional.
Namewee is known for music that often courts controversy, addressing issues such as governance, social inequality and corruption.
Hsieh, an influencer from Taichung, had more than half a million followers on Instagram and hundreds of thousands on Facebook.
Police previously stated that Namewee and Hsieh had a “special relationship”.
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