KUALA LUMPUR – Several youth NGOs are urging the Higher Education Ministry (MoHE) to introduce programmes for female students facing difficulties funding their studies.
This is to ensure young women do not have to resort to offering themselves as “sugar babies” to make a quick buck.
In a statement, the NGOs said the ministry has failed to curb the sugar daddy-sugar baby trend.
They also urged the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to ban dating apps such as Sugarbook.
It is understood that there are two types of sugar dating – long-term and pay-per-meet (PPM).
“From data analysed, the majority of men prefer PPM.
“And yes, despite the fact that many have argued that it consists of companionship or mere dinner dates, the reality of it is that this may include sex and intimacy as well,” the statement read.
The NGOs also rubbished the argument that sugar dating gives women an empowering platform or strengthens their self-worth.
“From past history, women have fought for voting rights, abortion rights, to be treated with equal respect and not (be seen) as objects, and gender equality.
“If there are feminists out there who claim that sugar babying empowers women, with all due respect, we are of the opinion that they are not well-versed to understand feminism,” said the statement.
In making their argument, the NGOs questioned which party is the more empowered, as there are 40,000 sugar daddies compared with 300,000 sugar babies – a ratio of one sugar daddy to eight sugar babies.
The statement was endorsed by Enlight Malaysia, Untuk Malaysia, Parlimen Belia, Unit Pendidikan AMK Malaysia, Cool Min Gaga Solutions, Young Democrats Malaysia, Voice of Pandan, Belia Phoenix, Unikop owned by the Royal Malaysia Police Cooperation, UmnoSiswa Malaysia, Law Entrepreneurship Club of Uitm Shah Alam, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Hati Insan and Enlight Mental Health Charity. – The Vibes, February 15, 2021
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