SINGAPORE: Singapore is again facing the controversial bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee, who posted images of themselves having sex in public. The move led to a massive outpouring of anger and support for the young bloggers, who insist that they are attempting to change public perceptions toward sex in the conservative Southeast Asian country. This month, the two launched a new YouTube video series where they talk about sex and give advice to couples. “We feel that sex is extremely important yet under-discussed, especially sexual health, sexual identity, sexual morality, and of course sexual happiness. Thus we hope to inspire Malaysians and Singaporeans to open up more not just on sex but also other issues close to heart,” the pair wrote. Their first blog, Sumptuous Erotica, sparked controversy in the region over women writing about sex, showed the young man in question in illicit poses with his girlfriend Vivian Lee, a Malaysian girl. Lee said that she was sorry for the blog, which has since removed most of the content, and apologized to her mother for the writing. However, women in Malaysia have said that Lee is a symbol of female freedom to talk about sex and they urged her not to stop writing about sex, although they said that she does not have to go into explicit details of her own experiences. Lee, a marketing graduate, posted the apology on Saturday. She said she “sincerely apologized to her mother who had to face tremendous pressure following the media spotlight on her daring expose." The Oriental Daily reported that Lee, 23, was also willing to say sorry to the Malaysian and Singaporean authorities if their action had offended the public. But women told Bikyanews.com that they are afraid that this move will continue to silence women from talking about sex. “Vivian was one of the bravest people I ever heard of and I hope this is not a sign that our society cannot handle a woman talking about sex," said Kuala Lumpur university student Tina. She told Bikyanews.com that “talking about sex is the only way that many young girls learn about this aspect of life. If we continue to force it out of the public I don't think Malaysia will be a place for women in the future." Lee's writing had sparked controversy in the country after she began posting details of her sex life. Many in the country felt she was going too far in her writing and demanded that she stop. BN
