Malaysian authorities followed strict procedures in Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh’s murder probe: Minister
Iris Hsieh Yu-hsin - known as the “nurse goddess” by her fans - was found dead in a hotel bathtub in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 22. The case was classified as murder on Nov 4.
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysian authorities followed strict procedures in investigating the death of Taiwanese influencer Iris Hsieh Yu-hsin linked to controversial rapper Namewee, said Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail amid questions raised about the delay in reclassifying the case as murder.
It was initially classified as a case of “sudden death”.
“We find out information in stages. When an (incident) happens, the first step for the police is to classify the case, under which Act and which section. Then they will discuss the direction of the investigation,” Saifuddin told reporters on Thursday (Nov 6), as quoted by local news outlet the New Straits Times (NST).
“After they (the police) take statements from the witnesses, only then can they classify the case.”
Hsieh, 31, was known as “nurse goddess” by her fans for her looks and background in nursing. She was found dead in a hotel bathtub at Jalan Conlay in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 22.
The case was classified as murder on Nov 4. A murder charge in Malaysia carries the death penalty or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years and not less than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.
“The process is based on the evidence and information collected. The goal is to uncover the truth and ensure justice is upheld,” Saifuddin was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today.
The home minister was speaking on the sidelines of Jelajah Wira Madani 2025 programme at the Putrajaya police headquarters.
Hsieh was reportedly working on a video project with controversial Malaysian rapper Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee. Wee has been remanded until Nov 10 to assist in the murder investigation after he turned himself in on Wednesday.
Wee, 42, had reportedly found Hsieh unresponsive in the hotel bathroom and administered CPR before contacting emergency services at 12.30pm on Oct 22.
The reclassification of the case to murder on Nov 4 came a day after the authorities confirmed that Wee was charged with drug use and possession on Oct 24.
Police said they found nine blue pills suspected to be ecstasy during a check of his room on Oct 22. He later tested positive for amphetamine, methamphetamine, ketamine and THC, the chemical compound in cannabis, in a urine screening.
Wee was charged with drug possession and consumption but pleaded not guilty. The court allowed him to post bail of RM4,000 for each charge, reported NST.
Wee had earlier denied committing the drug offences or any involvement in Hsieh’s death.
But he turned himself in at the Dang Wangi police station in Kuala Lumpur in the early hours of Wednesday, several hours after the police said that the rapper could not be located.
“I will fully cooperate with the police investigation to give an explanation to the public and the deceased’s family,” he wrote in an Instagram post in the early hours of Wednesday.
"I will not run away, in the past when I was wanted (by the police), I voluntarily reported myself each time and never fled.”
According to Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus, Hsieh had arrived in Malaysia on Oct 20 and was scheduled to stay until Oct 24.
He added on Tuesday that postmortem and toxicology reports are pending, and that the cause of her death remains under investigation.
It will take three months before the reports are completed, Fadil said, according to NST.
If convicted of drug possession, Wee faces up to five years’ jail and nine strokes of the cane. If convicted of drug use, he faces up to two years’ jail.
