'Alvivi' the controversial sex blogging duo has hit the headlines, yet again.
This time around, the other half of duo Alvin, whose full name is Alvin an Jye Jee, is in the limelight after he was purportedly fled to the United States to seek political asylum, earlier this week.
This was confirmed by Vivian Lee May Ling, the other half of the controversial couple, when contacted by Astro AWANI.
“He left just like that,” said a distraught Vivian, adding that she found out from a reliable source about Alvin’s ‘unceremonious’ departure for the US towards the end of May.
“It was a very selfish of him to do because we were still seeing each other then,” said the 25-year-old.
The duo, shot to instant stardom for posting explicit photos of their sexual acts online, was jointly-charged last year for publishing insensitive materials, mocking the holy month of Ramadhan.
A picture of them enjoying the bak kut teh with the caption that reads, Selamat Berbuka Puasa dengan bak kut teh... wangi, enak, menyelerakan" (Happy breaking fast with bak kut teh...fragrant, delicious, appetising) went viral and caused an uproar of sorts among Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia.
Prior to this incident, the couple was slammed for posting their explicit images on a blog, which filled with seditious contents comprising obscene pictures of the couple in compromising positions.
Several FB posts and scathing remarks later, the ‘lovebirds’ sprung to life yet again, with Regret—a self-directed video which boasts Vivian ‘slashing her wrist’ at the end of the video. Written by Alvin, the clip was viewed numerous times merely hours after it was uploaded on YouTube.
Last year, the pair was hauled to court to face three 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 relevant authority on June 3.
The Sessions Court then issued an arrest warrant on Tan and forfeited his RM20,000 bail after he failed to return to court on June 13.
Alvin has since went into hiding.
News on the duo resurfaced yet again, this time around on Alvin who has fled Singapore and living in the US based on comments he left on news portal Theantdaily’s Facebook page on September 23 – after he laid low for a few months.
The article titled ‘Alvin Tan, face the consequences of your actions like a man’ drew angry response from Alvin, 26, who is now intending to turn over new leaf by seeking for political asylum in the US.
“You're so bitter that I got away... So, so bitter. And jealous too. Sigh… Get a life la, you pathetic "journalist"...”, said the comment posted through a Facebook account presumed to be his, Theantdaily reported.
Following the comment, the portal then produced another article titled, “Has Alvin Tan of Alvivi finally surfaced?”
Alvin, using a new Facebook account, revealed details of him currently being in the US, where he intends to seek political asylum.
“I never felt scared, because I'm not a fugitive at all (try "recognised asylum seeker"). All that talk of Interpol is just typical Umno/PDRM wayang.
“In any case, the US government isn't just going to cooperate with PDRM to hand over a recognised political refugee (even the Department of State's 2013 Human Rights Report on Malaysia cites my case for fu*&’s sake),” the user wrote.
“That's not how extradition works. I've already filed for asylum, and I've passed many preliminary filtering (interviews, documentation, court hearings) that pretty much guarantee that I won't be deported/extradited.”
Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar was quoted saying in August that the international police were liaising with his officers to bring Alvin home.
“He is in the US. He’s trying to apply for political asylum. And I think there’s a high chance he might get it,” said Vivian.
When asked if the Facebook account used to post the most recent comments on theantdaily belonged to Alvin, Vivian confirmed that it (FB account) is his.
“That’s him for sure. We’ve been together for 2 years. I know him.
When asked why she didn’t flee to the U.S., Vivian firmly said, “I don’t see the point.”
“The case is at a standstill. I hope it will be resolved soon so I can carry on life as usual. I just want to drop everything and be normal. I was very depressed but I have come to terms with it,” she added.
The police, she said, have not contacted her on Alvin’s online re-emergence.
Meanwhile, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported on Wednesday that its correspondent spoke to Tan via Facebook to which commented that he was “busy starting a new life here (in the US), apart from awaiting my final asylum hearing.”
“I'm here to seek political refuge from the tyranny of Umno - simple as that,” Tan was quoted as saying.
The report added that Alvin is ‘positive’ he will be granted asylum.
Otherwise, said the notorious Alvin, he will post more ‘seditious material’ online to strengthen his case.
“The State Department produced a Human Rights Report on Malaysia in 2013 which explicitly cites my case as a repression of internet speech rights.”
“If all else fails, I can easily publish more 'seditious' materials on my Facebook to taunt the authorities and get them to be hot on the pursuit of me again, therefore creating an even more well-founded fear of political persecution to bolster my asylum claim,” he told CNA.
Cynthia Ng
Mon Sep 29 2014
"He was very selfish" - Vivian of the controversial Alvivi duo said during a phone interview with Astro AWANI.
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