Malaysian sex blogger lashes out at Singapore media on Facebook

SINGAPORE - Sex blogger Alvin Tan has been frolicking in media and public attention since news of a sex blog he kept with his girlfriend broke in both countries at opposite ends of the causeway.

As part of his 15 minutes of fame, the controversial ASEAN scholar has a Facebook page with close to 8,000 subscribers who want to know what he has to say about his experience being in the media spotlight.

Throughout the debacle, Tan, 24, has spoken his mind on his public page, openly lambasting media outlets and critics he has come across.

In his most recent status update, the law undergraduate lashed out against a television broadcaster in Singapore, saying that the station is "a cunning, exploitative company prone to making money from the ignorant and inexperienced like me and Vivian."

The posting made on Tuesday night detailed how Tan and his girlfriend Vivian Lee, 23, were approached to tape an episode of a reality television programme.

If they agreed, they were required to meet with people who have sent them sexual propositions and record their meetings secretly over a period of seven days, something which he felt carried "tremendous legal risks".

Despite this, the couple was not offered any form of payment other than reimbursements for transport and accommodation expenses, he said.

According to him, the TV station told him that the recording was considered an interview, and as a result, was not elligible for any payment.

Irked by this response, Tan took to his Facebook page saying: "I will not be an accessory to a gross and intentional violation of individual privacy for strong legal and moral reasons."

"It is only fair, just, and reasonable to compensate me for my time; even nominal payment would suffice to convey their sincerity," he added.

This is not the first time the infamous blogger has made his opinions about the media and his critics known on his Facebook page.

He has previously ranted against critics who slammed his moral standing for posting explicit videos and photographs of him and Vivian online.

"To those who say that we teach children the wrong things, look: those are your children. The world is bad and evil, and it is your job as parents to shield them or educate them about things like this," he said.

He added: "It's not our duty to make parenting and education easy for you, so go and learn how to be good parents instead of blaming others when it is you who failed."

Nevertheless, he says he does not mind the attention and even tries to make it work for his benefit.

"The fact is that the media is going to use me no matter what," he said in a post on October 20, "The question is whether I want to let the manipulation be one-sided or both ways."

In the posting, Tan said that he was confident of himself and prioritises maintaining his "poise and presence" so that the media will not be able to faze him.

He is also aware of the image he wishes to portray to the public and wishes to use his fame for longer-term publicity.

At the end of the post, Tan said: "Perhaps it's audacious, almost delusional, to think that I may some day be a big star, because I'm humbly aware that news expires very fast."

"I know that I have artistic talent (no, not necessarily in pornography) and that I'm not afraid of the camera lens, which is a good start. I can only keep an open mind for the moment and try for the best."

-AsiaOne