“Rental boyfriends” have been pretty popular for the past few years. Well, as it turns out, that has made it all the more lucrative, according to these two Malay guys who dabbled in it during their college days.
Raihan and Malik (pseudonyms) shared that what started out as a joke and for fun became an actual steady career at some point. All customers asked from them was their time and attention, which the two were happy to give, especially when it earned them roughly RM30K to RM50K a month.
Both men, reportedly in their 20s, had started the “rental boyfriend” gig when they were still studying. Raihan shared that he had initially started it for fun, but got serious about it after he was approached by repeated customers. Malik, on the other hand, got into it after realising his popularity in college.
Raihan claims his rates were set at RM3500 per hour, be it chatting on the phone, or video calling for meeting in person. “In a day, there can be as little as one customer and as many as three to five people,” he stated. “How long (the service is) depends on the customer. The longer it is, the more they’ll have to pay.”
However, Malik’s charges were based on his services. Having a romantic ride around Kl on his scooter would cost RM169, asking him to send flowers at their graduation would be RM139, and sending food would be RM89. Simpler services, such as chatting, Facetiming and calling cost RM4 and RM6 respectively.
For Malik, his “rental boyfriend” services were more towards consultations and offering a listening ear. “I once heard out this man who wanted to commit suicide due to overly stressful life circumstances. Thank God, he did not kill himself after listening to my advice and seeing my face,” he shared.
While the duo were willing to do a lot for their customers, both drew the line at sexual services. “I don’t have many conditions, just don’t ask for too much and don’t go over (my) boundaries,” Malik stated. Raihan also claimed it wasn’t uncommon to receive requests such as “watching a customer masturbate” or to vacation with them overseas.
Both clarified that they had drawn clear boundaries with their customers who usually respected that. Additionally, Raihan shared that he was against dating any of his customers. “What I’m doing (is for) fun,” he explained. “(My customers) have offered plenty of gifts, but I turned them down because I’m not looking for a commitment.” Raihan cited work being one of the reasons why he rejected offers.
The duo explained that their customers ranged from the well-known and the professionals to the married and the single, and men and women. “As I’ve said, as long as they don’t breach my boundaries, I will continue (this service). Sorry to say, but in this day and age, money is everything,” Malik stated. “I’ve only done this for two months, and in that time, my income has reached RM50,000.”
Raihan shared that he could rack up RM30,000 a month with his “rental boyfriend” services. “Recently, I got an offer of RM15,000 to accompany (the customer) and RM10,000 to hang out (with them). Now, I will take up the offer if I have the time (because I’ve started working) and if it doesn’t take too long,” he added.
However, a professor from the faculty of Islamic Studies of University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Datuk Dr Mohd Izhar Ariff has reportedly claimed that such work is against the teachings of Islam. “Such services have the potential to result in acts forbidden by Islam,” he explained, claiming this was why offering such services to women online or physically was banned in the religion.
Well, there’s no denying that there are plenty of lonely people out there who simply need someone to listen to or accompany them. What do you guys think? Would you opt to try being a “rental boyfriend/companion” to earn some cash?
Sources: Harian Metro, China Press
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