KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian rapper Namewee has put out a Chinese New Year single titled TypeC Malaysia.
The 42-year-old artist, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, has been beset by legal troubles over the past year.
On Oct 22, 2025, local police found Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh, also known as “Nurse Goddess” dead in a hotel room bathtub in Kuala Lumpur. Ms Hsieh, who was only 31 years old when she passed away, had come to Malaysia to work with the rapper on a video project.
Namewee said that he tried to revive Ms Hsieh before he called emergency services.
He was arrested and charged with drug offences that day, however, and Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said that when police officers searched the room, they found pills which they believed to be ecstasy. He then tested positive for several drugs.
The rapper was released on bail after nine days and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
In a social media post in the period that followed, Namewee expressed grief over Ms Hsieh’s passing, and denied that he possessed or used drugs.
On Dec 22, he was acquitted on the drugs usage charge when a urine test showed him negative for drugs. Moreover, the prosecutor chose to no longer pursue the charge. The investigation into Ms Hsieh’s death is ongoing; however, with Namewee’s part in it still uncertain, and his bail has been extended to Jan 11.
Additionally, the rapper still has an existing charge for drug possession.
TypeC Malaysia
According to a Malay Mail report, Namewee’s new song is inspired by the origins and dialects of Malaysian Chinese.
“Many of these dialects are slowly disappearing, and I hope to showcase them in my own way through this song,” the report quotes him as saying.
He also said that his song is a reflection of how holiday is celebrated differently by the Chinese in Malaysia.
“For the music video, we also used six representative colors representing different ancestral origins: blue, orange, pink, white, yellow, and purple, inspired by the ‘Johor Ancient Temple Procession.’
We also incorporated many Malaysian New Year customs and scenes. The aim is to show the world through this music video that Lunar New Year doesn’t have to be cold and distant; we are still here on the equator! Malaysian Chinese (Type-C) are celebrating our Lunar New Year together!” Namewee wrote in the caption to the song.
The video has had more than 2.6 million views on YouTube since it was released on Jan 2.
/TISG
