Malaysian Rapper Namewee charged with drug use
Popular Malaysian rapper Namewee has been charged with illegal drug use and possession, according to local media reports citing Kuala Lumpur police, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
Authorities said the 42-year-old artist, known for his provocative and satirical music, pleaded not guilty to both charges and was released on bail after his arrest last month.
Namewee, whose songs often address sensitive themes such as obscenity, religion, and censorship in China, denied the allegations in an Instagram post on Sunday, insisting he neither used nor carried drugs.
"The truth will be out when the police report is released," he wrote.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said that Namewee was arrested on 22 October in a hotel room, where they found pills believed to be ecstasy - also known as MDMA.
Namewee later tested positive for illicit substances - including amphetamines, methamphetamine, ketamine, and THC - and was remanded for two days, Fadil said in a statement.
If convicted of drug possession, he could be jailed up to five years and caned.
A police official told local media that Namewee had been in the same hotel at the same time as Iris Hsieh, a Taiwanese influencer who was found dead in her hotel room bathtub.
Namewee wrote on Instagram that he felt "deeply sorry" about Hsieh's death. The ambulance had taken "nearly an hour" to arrive at the scene, he wrote.
He said that he had remained silent as the case was under investigation - though it's unclear if he's referring to his drug charges or Hsieh's death.
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