Namewee describes trauma of witnessing Iris Hsieh’s death, calls for end to cyberbullying

Malaysian rapper and filmmaker Namewee (Wee Meng Chee) has broken his silence following his release from police custody, sharing a detailed Facebook post on 14 November that recounted the trauma of witnessing Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh’s death and the intensity of his nine-day detention.

He described the incident as the first time he had ever witnessed a person die in front of him.

“I was heartbroken, helpless, and in shock. I did my utmost to save her, but there was nothing more I could do. That image will forever stay in my mind,” he wrote.

Namewee confirmed that from the time of the incident until his release, he was interrogated by six different departments within the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM). He said the first and second days were especially difficult, with interrogations lasting more than eight hours daily — the longest session taking 15 hours.

The police units involved included:

• The Criminal Investigation Department

• The D9 Serious Crimes Division

• D.W. Lokap Detention Centre

• The Narcotics Investigation Division

• The Royal Narcotics Division

• A Special Operations Task Force appointed by the Inspector-General of Police

“They used various methods to record my statements repeatedly, and conducted a detailed, thorough investigation with technological tools. They were highly professional,” he added.

In his post, Namewee also addressed online abuse aimed at Iris Hsieh, who had previously promoted herself as Taiwan’s top OnlyFans creator. He called for an end to cyberbullying and urged the public not to judge individuals based on their profession.

“Please don’t look at others’ careers through a prejudiced lens. Just because someone had an OnlyFans account doesn’t mean they were a bad person. Please stop attacking the deceased.”

Background to the case

The death of Hsieh Yu-hsin, also known as Iris Hsieh, has drawn widespread attention in both Malaysia and Taiwan. She was found dead on 22 October in a bathtub at a hotel on Jalan Conlay in central Kuala Lumpur. Her body was sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a post-mortem.

Initially treated as a sudden death, the case was later reclassified as murder under Section 302 of the Malaysian Penal Code.

Namewee was reportedly present in the hotel room when the incident occurred. On 5 November, at approximately 2am, he surrendered himself at the Dang Wangi police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Police obtained a remand order, which was extended until 13 November — the maximum allowed under Malaysian law unless charges are filed.

On 12 November, Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus confirmed that investigation papers had been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), which then issued further instructions to continue the investigation.

On 13 November, Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar told the media that there was currently no evidence implicating Namewee in causing Hsieh’s death.

“Thus far, there is no lead to show that he was involved in causing the death of the deceased. We are offering police bail,” he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini and the New Straits Times.

Namewee’s release on police bail is temporary and valid until 26 November. During this period, police are expected to complete forensic reviews, including the results of Hsieh’s autopsy and toxicology tests.

Authorities have not disclosed whether any other individuals are being investigated or if additional evidence has emerged.

No formal charges have been filed in the case as of 15 November.