Court orders sex blogger’s arrest for not returning passport

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today issued an arrest warrant on sex blogger Alvin Tan for failing to return his passport to court on June 3.

Alvin (pic), who together with his partner Vivian Lee face charges under the Film Censorship Act and the Sedition Act over several Facebook posts, had been allowed to travel to Singapore to film a programme on his life story three weeks ago.

On May 12, Sessions Court judge Abdul Rashid Daud allowed the pair to have their passports back until June 3, based on an application by their lawyer Chong Joo Tian.

The prosecution led by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin did not object to the return of the passports, but had asked Tan and Lee not to comment on their trial during the filming of the programme.

Last April, the Court of Appeal freed them from a charge of stirring hostility between religions, on grounds that it was not applicable to non-Muslims.

The charge under Section 298 was struck because the court felt the law was meant to ensure the smoothness of the practice of Islam among its followers, not those of other religions.

The pair still face two other charges under the Film Censorship Act and Sedition Act over their controversial "Ramadan greeting" posting last year, containing the words "Selamat Berbuka Puasa (dengan bak kut teh... wangi, enak, menyelerakan)", as well as over their blog's pornographic images.

Following condemnations, the posting was removed and replaced with a picture of them eating ketupat, rendang and curry puffs.

MORE TO COME

- TMI