Malaysian rapper Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, has been charged with two drug-related offences after being arrested in Kuala Lumpur last month.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Commissioner Fadil Marsus said that Namewee, 42, was arrested by officers from the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters at about 4.30pm on Oct 22. He was detained in a hotel room in Kuala Lumpur, where police carried out a search and found nine blue pills, believed to be Ecstasy, weighing around 5.12 grams.
“During a search of the room, police discovered nine blue pills believed to be Ecstasy, weighing approximately 5.12g,” Datuk Fadil said in a statement on Nov 3. After the discovery, Namewee was taken to the Dang Wangi police station for further investigation.
An initial urine test later showed that Namewee tested positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine, ketamine, and THC. “He was remanded for two days,” Datuk Fadil added. Two days later, on Oct 24, the rapper was brought to court and charged under two different provisions of the Dangerous Drugs Act.
“The first charge was for possession of drugs. Wee pleaded not guilty and was granted bail of RM4,000 (S$1,240) with one local surety,” Datuk Fadil said. “The second charge was for drug use after testing positive for the substances. He also pleaded not guilty and was granted another RM4,000 bail with a local surety,” he continued.
The court has fixed Dec 18 for the next mention of the case.
In a statement posted on Instagram on Nov 2, Namewee denied using drugs or being involved in the death of Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh Yu-hsin, who was found dead in a hotel bathtub on Oct 22. the same day he was arrested. He described the allegations as “unsubstantiated news reports” and said that the truth will come to light once police reports are released in the coming months. “I have never used drugs or been involved in this incident,” he wrote, assuring fans that he would cooperate fully with the authorities.
For now, Namewee remains out on bail as police continue their investigation into the case.
