STILL DEFIANT: Mr Fan, who has been sacked, has written a second essay online where he speaks out against 'hypocrisy'. -- PHOTO: WWW.CHINA.ORG.CN

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When tremors hit the Guangya Middle School in Dujiangyan city on May 12, Mr Fan, who was teaching a literature class at the time, yelled 'Earthquake!' and fled the classroom, leaving his stunned students behind.

His escape did not become a public talking point until some 10 days after the quake, when he posted an article online admitting that he had abandoned his students, and defended his actions.

'In this fleeting moment of life and death, I could only consider sacrificing myself for my daughter, I would not care about other people, even if it were my mother, under this type of circumstance,' the history graduate from the prestigious Beijing University wrote on tianya, China's hottest social Web portal.

His post whipped up an Internet and media frenzy, even though the school building remained intact and none of the students was hurt.

Netizens vilified him for his selfish and 'cowardly' behaviour. He has been branded with the nickname 'Running Fan', and a pop singer composed a song to ridicule him.

Mr Fan has, however, remained unapologetic. He recently appeared on a chat show on Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV where he calmly defended himself against critics.

'I have a very strong sense of self-preservation...I have never been a brave man and I'm only really concerned about myself,' he said, adding that he had not broken any law.

In the latest development, local media reported earlier this week that the local education authorities had revoked Mr Fan's teaching certificate. This bars him from re-entering the teaching profession for the next five years.

Mr Fan has said that he may sue the government for sacking him, and added that he might now consider a career in journalism as it would give him more freedom of expression, according to reports.

Yet, the controversy surrounding him has provoked much more than vitriol. His frankness has ignited a debate about common, versus individual, moral values, as well as Chinese society's tolerance for those who dare to break the mould.

Political commentator and former newspaper editor Li Datong noted in a recent article: 'Out of the discussion over Mr Fan's actions and morals...a tolerance for minority opinion and for those who go against the grain emerged.

'This is the advantage of free and fair debate - a debate which demonstrates that Chinese society is indeed changing.'

Mr Fan is one of several ordinary individuals who have become controversial national talking points after the quake. In some cases, public opinion changed unexpectedly from praise to scorn.

A female police officer who was feted for breastfeeding babies who were orphaned or separated from their mothers following the earthquake is now at the centre of another online storm over her recent promotion.

According to local reports, officer Jiang Xiaojuan, 29, mother of a six-month-old boy, was given an exceptional promotion to a high supervisory post following all the positive publicity about her.

Netizens have reacted strongly, criticising the move as an example of how official positions are frivolously handed out as rewards in China.

Mr Fan, meanwhile, is not lying low. He has written a second essay online in which he speaks out against 'hypocrisy'.

In comments that are bound to touch off more debate, he wrote: '[The media and public opinion] beat the drum for sacrifice and high moral standards, and morally blackmail those who act differently. I think it necessary to counteract this tendency to want to make martyrs out of people.'

tracyq@sph.com.sg