Rapper tied to Taiwan influencer's death vows cooperation with probe

Singapore, Nov. 5 (CNA) Malaysian rapper Namewee (黃明志), who has been implicated by Malaysian authorities in the alleged murder of Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh (謝侑芯), said Wednesday that he will not flee and will fully cooperate with police investigations.

In a post on social media, the rapper said he had arrived at the police station and will "fully cooperate with the police investigation to give the public and family of the deceased an explanation."

"I will not flee," he said, adding that in the past he had reported to the authorities the seven times he was wanted.

Namewee was at the scene of the death of Hsieh, who was reported to have lost consciousness at a Malaysia hotel on Oct. 22, according to a Malaysian news report.

He was arrested and charged with drug possession and use, but he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail, with a court hearing scheduled for Dec. 18, the report said.

Malaysian police on Tuesday announced that Hsieh's death has been upgraded to a murder investigation, and implicated Namewee in the case.

At the time, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said that he believed that Namewee knew about the investigation and was on the run, local news reported.

The rapper, 42, is known for his comments and songs that touch on sensitive local and political topics.

He has drawn scrutiny from Malaysian authorities multiple times for his outspoken remarks on social issues and criticism of current affairs.

Born and raised in Malaysia, he rose to fame in Taiwan in 2022 with his song "Fragile" (玻璃心), a Mandarin ballad satirizing nationalistic Chinese internet users. The song was pulled from music streaming services in China one day after its release.