Big Names Were Sugar Daddies Says Sugarbook Founder

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Sugarbook founder Chan Eu Boon during his court appearance on Feb 24.Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article stated that most of the criminal charges against Sugarbook and its founder have been dropped, as reported by VICE News. FMT has been informed that changes have been made to VICE’s article. We have amended our story to reflect those changes.
PETALING JAYA: “Extremely influential people in power” as well as local celebrities have been listed as Sugarbook members, according to the dating website’s founder Chan Eu Boon.
However, Chan told VICE News that he had no intention of revealing the identities of these individuals, maintaining that he and the company took its members’ data and privacy very seriously.
“I can see why people might want me to release names and expose the sugar daddies on our site but we take (our users’) data and privacy very seriously.
“The authorities have asked for the names and addresses of our premium members but I repeatedly refused to disclose any information,” he said.
He said he was considering leaving the country to focus on Sugarbook’s expansion to other markets in Asia, such as Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, following the uproar over Sugarbook locally.
“I’ve been charged with ‘inciting fear’ and will not fight the Malaysian government.
“Malaysia will always be my country and my home. But after this episode, I am definitely deliberating on exiting the Malaysian market and am considering my next move,” he said.
The 34-year old was charged under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code in February this year after being arrested to assist in an investigation into rape and prostitution. He was also probed under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
The investigations started after Sugarbook revealed that it saw an 40% increase in students registering to be “sugar babies” since January, with 12,705 students from 10 institutions of higher learning in the Klang Valley using the platform.
More than 70 reports were then lodged over the website.
Following the controversy that arose early this year, which he described as “blown out of proportion”, Chan said the website saw more people signing up as members, although there were some who quit the platform too.
“Banning Sugarbook has certainly affected a lot of Malaysians. It was the primary source of income for many young women.
“None of the young women registered as sugar babies have ever been forced to sell their bodies. We empower them to have absolute control of who they want to meet and engage with,” he maintained. - FMT

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