Malaysian rapper Namewee fasely declares own ‘death’ in April Fool’s Day hoax

Malaysian rapper Namewee. Photo from Namewee's Instagram

The Straits Times reported that the ruse commenced in the predawn hours of April 1, with a black-and-white photograph of the 40-year-old entertainer shared on social media, bearing the inscription "1983 - 2024," suggesting he had died on March 29.

The joke intensified when an "obituary" was published at 4:52 a.m., announcing that a "wake" and "farewell ceremony" were planned for 2-10 p.m. that day at Nirvana Center Kuala Lumpur, which is recognized as Asia’s premiere integrated memorial center. It was confirmed that Namewee’s representatives had reserved the facility for that evening.

Furthermore, the obituary designated a dress code of purely white garments for those attending and expressly rejected any offerings of condolence wreaths, floral arrangements, cash donations, and tribute advertisements. It explicitly prohibited any form of media reportage at the event.

Mirror revealed that the peak of the prank occurred in the afternoon with the emergence of another image, this one depicting what seemed to be Namewee’s casket, embellished with flowers and encircled by a montage celebrating his career achievements.

Journalistic attempts to clarify the situation were met with silence, as the artist’s manager did not reply to inquiries.

Numerous netizens left messages such as "Rest in peace" and commended the lasting impact of his music on his social media pages, while some expressed skepticism.

The Star disclosed that the deception was exposed the following day when Namewee verified in a Facebook post that he was indeed well. He expressed his gratitude for the concern shown by many people and mentioned he felt fortunate to "experience things that others cannot."

Regarding individuals who criticized him and expressed disappointment in his antics, Namewee dismissed them as "fake fans."

NBC News noted that Namewee is known for being a controversial personality in Malaysia. He has faced arrest and detention on several occasions due to accusations that his musical outputs insult other religions and ethnic groups.