Despite having left the country, it sure ain’t over yet for one half of the “Alvivi” duo, sex blogger Alvin Tan.
Police are now investigating him under the Sedition Act 1948 following scathing remarks he made against the country’s top leaders on his Facebook account recently. Of course, this is not the first time that Alvin has had the authorities hunting him down. He was previously jointly charged with former partner Vivian Lee for publishing insensitive materials mocking the holy month of Ramadhan last year.
They were both hauled to court to face 3 charges under the Film Censorship Act, Sedition Act and the Penal Code but managed to get the charge under Section 298A of the Penal Code dismissed. The court, which previously ordered the duo to surrender their passports, had granted a temporary release of their travel documents in May to enable them to shoot a documentary in Singapore.
But only Vivian surrendered her passport to the authorities on 3rd June.
Alvin, who has now turned fugitive and bail-jumper, resurfaced online last week and claimed that he is now living in US, after going into hiding for months. He reportedly fled to the country to seek political asylum.
In a Facebook posting dated 26th September, he called out the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for the recent sedition blitz as an attempt by him to “cling on to the top post”. He also referred the Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar as “Nazi SS Head Heinrich Himmler” and Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as “the closest thing to true evil”.
Complete mayhem followed suit after, with Deputy federal CID chief DCP Datuk Amar Singh saying:
Members of the public have lodged reports against Alvin Tan. Upon this, we initiated an investigation under the Sedition Act. Let us complete the investigation first. Then, we will liaise with the Attorney General’s department to decide the next course of action.
Meanwhile, Bernama reports that Melaka Umno Youth and 2 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also lodged police reports against Alvin Tan over the postings. UMNO Youth executive committee member and Pemikir Muda Malaysia (an NGO) president Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen and Persatuan Bekas Tentera Tidak Berpencen Melaka president Alias Abd Wahab represented them in lodging the reports at the Melaka Tengah police station.
Speaking to reporters, Mohd Rafiq said they wanted the authorities to act against the blogger who is currently overseas.
As for Vivian, she said that she wasn’t surprised that Alvin had skipped bail and is seeking asylum in US, saying the plans were not discussed with her.
She told The Star:
He suggested the idea of seeking political asylum briefly once, but he didn’t discuss it with me further. He can pursue his dreams and resume his conquests in the United States without any baggage. I don’t see the point of living a life on the run. We still have a full life ahead of us, and the life as a fugitive wouldn’t suit me. Now that he has made it safely to the United States, I’m relieved because I finally know he’s OK.
I was brought up by my parents to face and deal with any issue in front of us, and running away whenever there’s trouble isn’t a wise approach. I do not feel bitter nor I do not blame him for anything. I wish him well and all the best. It would be a while, perhaps never again, that the two of us will meet.
She added that she had been sending him text messages and emails ever since he went off the grid, but he did not respond and only heard he was safe and sound when friends who read about it in the news informed her.
