KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian rapper Namewee has confirmed that he is fine after faking his death on April Fools’ Day.

In a social media post at 2.20am on April 2, the 40-year-old said he did so to share the importance of “pre-planning for one’s passing”.

According to Namewee, many things happened to him in the past year – including facing considerable pressure, receiving warning signs about his health and multiple trips to the hospital emergency room.

The controversial rapper – whose real name is Wee Meng Chee – added that he lost many friends as well as his pet of 13 years.

He said: “Something you realise at the end of your life is that no matter how great your achievements are or how extraordinary you become, everyone will still face death in the end.”

The All In (2024) star continued: “This made me realise the significance of pre-funeral arrangements. I wrote a song, filmed a music video, planned a pre-funeral farewell ceremony and intended to turn everything into a documentary.”

In his post, Namewee called for everyone to be brave in facing both life and death. According to him, pre-funeral arrangements are widely practised by many people overseas.

“When discussing death, we shouldn’t avoid talking about it but face it bravely,” he wrote.

On April 1 at 12.02am, a black-and-white photo of Namewee was posted to social media with the caption “1983-2024”.

In an “obituary” posted four hours later, it was said that a “wake” would be held from 2 to 10pm and that a “farewell ceremony” would take place from 8 to 1...