Malaysian sex blogger Alvin Tan 'not in Singapore'

Attempts to reach Tan since June have been unsuccessful.
Attempts to reach Tan since June have been unsuccessful.

The hunt is on for Malaysian sex blogger Alvin Tan after he jumped bail. But contrary to media reports, The Straits Times understands that he is currently not in Singapore.

Tan's lawyer Chong Joo Tian said his client was supposed to have returned his passport to the Malaysian police on June 3, after a trip here in May to film a documentary.

But attempts to reach the 25-year-old since June have been unsuccessful, Mr Chong told The Straits Times.

His partner Vivian Lee, who is also being represented by Mr Chong, does not know his whereabouts either. "His mother tried to contact him, we also tried to call him, but his mobile phone was switched off, and we still don't know where he is right now," said Mr Chong.

On Friday, the Malaysian courts forfeited RM20,000 (S$7,900) of Tan's RM30,000 bail. The Malaysian authorities have also asked Interpol for its help, and the international police are looking for him.

The Malaysian Insider reported that Tan may still be in Singapore. But The Straits Times understands that Tan is not here. The Singapore police also said yesteday that it "has not received any request on this matter".

Tan, a former National University of Singapore scholar and 26-year-old Lee face charges over a controversial blog and for uploading pornographic images. They first gained notoriety in 2012 when they uploaded explicit videos of themselves having sex on their blog.

hpeishan@sph.com.sg

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