KUALA LUMPUR — The police acted according to procedure in reclassifying the death of Taiwanese social media influencer Iris Hsieh Yun Hsi as a murder case, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said today.
He said investigators were bound by standard protocols requiring them to collect sufficient evidence before deciding how to classify a case.
“This is based on evidence and information collected. That is the method of investigation and opening an investigation paper,” he told reporters after attending the Wira Madani programme at the Putrajaya district police headquarters.
“The ultimate goal is to search for the truth and ensure justice is served based on relevant existing laws,” he added.
Saifuddin was responding to questions on why police had taken time to reclassify Hsieh’s case from sudden death to murder.
Hsieh, 31, was reportedly last seen with Malaysian film director and rapper Wee Meng Chee — better known as Namewee — in a hotel room in Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur, on October 22.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus had said the case was reclassified as murder after investigators uncovered suspicious elements.
Wee, 42, was arrested and remanded for six days to assist in the probe. Dang Wangi police chief Asst Comm Sazalee Adam confirmed that the remand order will last until November 10.
Before surrendering himself to police on Tuesday night, Wee posted a video on Facebook showing a police station in the background, saying he intended to cooperate fully with the investigation.
“I have now arrived at the police station, and from here on, I will fully cooperate with the police investigation to give an explanation to the public and the deceased’s family. I will not run away,” he said in the video.
Fadil earlier told Scoop that the police were tracing Wee’s whereabouts after the case was upgraded to murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
“Investigations are ongoing from all angles, including individuals who were last with the victim,” he said, adding that CCTV footage from the hotel and surrounding areas had been collected.
Police have also recorded statements from hotel staff and security personnel, while awaiting post-mortem and toxicology results to determine Hsieh’s cause of death.
“The reports will give us clearer findings later,” Fadil said. — November 6, 2025