On 1st April, Malaysian-born singer Namewee (黃明志) shocked his fans when he announced his “death”. Given the date, many fans quickly realised that the notice was just an April Fool’s prank, causing some to criticise the singer for being insensitive.
Despite the backlash, Namewee continued with his “death”, even holding an entire memorial ceremony at the Nirvana Centre funeral home in Kuala Lumpur. The public was invited to pay their respects at the hall decorated with memorabilia and photos of the celeb. His family members reportedly gave their eulogies at the ceremony and a few public figures like Bai En (Bryan Wee) and Ms Puiyi also commemorated Namewee’s “death” through their social media. However, this all seemed elaborate for a prank, leaving many questioning Namewee’s motive.
On 2nd April, at 2am, the “All In” actor finally revealed his reason for holding a funeral for himself, saying it was a preparation for his inevitable death. Through his social media, Namewee explained, “During the whole of last year, many things happened to me. I faced pressure from all sides, health scares and I was in and out of the hospital for emergencies. Plus, many friends around me, my pet of 13 years, and many celebrities left us, causing us to feel unprepared. This made me realise the importance of life planning.”
According to the singer, the entire event was part of his “life’s plan” and the farewell ceremony was to understand the meaning of life with his fans and those who supported him during his career. He also mentioned that it was touching to see how his fans reacted during his “funeral”, adding that it showed how much they care for him. He also said that despite the funeral being held on 1st April, the event itself is important and shouldn’t be taken as a joke.
Namewee revealed that he will make a documentary about his funeral ceremony. He will also be releasing the music video for his song, “When I’m Gone”, which was written about the feeling of someone after they have passed. The documentary and the music video will be released on 4th April. He also thanked those who gave their cooperation at his funeral.
While pre-planning your death sounds slightly morbid, Namewee must’ve had a good reason to have a funeral before his death. What are your thoughts on this entire event?
Sources: Facebook, Instagram (1)(2), China Press (1)(2)
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