Interview: Alvin Tan on Amos Yee

Hello everyone, time for another Limpeh exclusive! Many people have made the comparison between Amos Yee and Alvin Tan who is now living in Los Angeles; so I thought I would ask my dear friend Alvin what he makes of the Amos Yee saga thus far and given that Alvin has been through so much with the Malaysian justice system which eventually led to him seeking asylum in America, I was very interested to learn what he made of Amos Yee's predicament.

Alvin Tan is now living in Los Angeles, California.

Limpeh: So Alvin, have you been following the Amos Yee saga? What are your thoughts on it?

Alvin: Of course. In fact, I’m outraged by not only the PAP’s insistence on prosecuting him under multiple charges but also the ignorance and mean-spiritedness of ordinary Singaporeans in endorsing his imprisonment. Since when is political criticism – however rude it may be – a crime deserving of a custodial sentence? What kind of fucked up society is Singapore? Do we just throw everyone we disagree with into jail?

Limpeh: I suppose Amos was treated so harshly because of the way Singaporeans revered Lee Kuan Yew.

Alvin: I’m also surprised that Singaporeans displayed such blind loyalty to Lee Kuan Yew, reminiscent of how the North Koreans are unquestioningly loyal to the Kim family. The man wasn’t perfect; let’s just accept it. Too bad Singaporeans are too handsomely bribed with the conveniences of HDB flats, MRT, schools, malls, parks, etc. to admit that he’s also been very cruel and heartless in depriving many wives and children of their innocent husbands and fathers (for decades, I might add), just because he was afraid of losing the 1963 general election. He offered them nothing after detaining his political opponents for decades: no apology, no monetary compensation, and definitely no show of remorse whatsoever.

Limpeh: What do you make of Amos Yee's actions thus far? Some people in Singapore have made that comparison between Amos and yourself - do you think it is a fair comparison or do you think that you really don't have much in common with Amos?

Alvin: While Amos and I are both outspoken and fearless in expressing ourselves, we have different temperaments. He definitely has a sharp mind, and his critics aren’t even in the same league as he is when it comes to raw brain power. His talent for critical thinking is unquestioned. Yet he seems to lack the ability to behave strategically, especially if he truly wants to accomplish his goals. Amos is a loose cannon, and, coming from me, that’s saying a lot.

Limpeh: Yup, not half! 

Alvin: You don’t mouth off when you’re on a S$20,000 bail undertaken by a stranger. First, that’s straight-up irresponsible and ungrateful. Second, he’d be shooting himself in the foot – there’s nothing so important or urgent that it needs to be said while he’s on court bail. Unfair and absurd as the terms of his bail are (as were mine), breaking them supposedly on principle is very unwise. He seemed more like he was throwing a tantrum more than he was making a political statement.

Was Amos making a political statement to break the terms of his bail?

Limpeh: I can't agree more. So, what do you think he needs to do next?

Alvin: It’s obvious: shut the fuck up, express remorse as genuinely as possible, plead guilty in court instead of fighting it, plead for leniency during sentencing, and then leave Singapore immediately once he finishes serving his (inevitable) jail sentence. The most obvious route for him is to apply for political asylum in America, undeniably his dream country. Starting from scratch would be a problem, but he’s a teenager: his parents need to, well, be parents, take charge of his life, and put him in school overseas.

Limpeh: What do you make of the fact that he is just 16 (turning 17 this year)? He's just a kid, he's only 16. 

Alvin: Amos matured way quicker than most people, being able to shrewdly see what others could not see, because his critics are indoctrinated idiots with a chronic case of cerebral atrophy, or, in common parlance these days, “daft Sinkies.” He has way too much ahead of him to try to fight a losing battle with a merciless authoritarian government right now with little to gain. He’s not running for political office, and he’s not going to be able to harvest this kind of publicity into something bigger, like writing a book, since his primary audience would be Singaporeans anyway, and we all know that there’s a fat chance that he’ll get published and distributed there. 

Some Singaporeans are more forgiving than others when it comes to Amos.

Limpeh: What were you like when you were 16 and 17 - were you rebellious like Amos then?

Alvin: When I was his age, I was as conformist as a Singaporean, worried about losing my scholarship and disappointing teachers and parents. I topped my class of more than 200 students, and I won bursary awards from MOE for doing extremely well in the 2005 GCE O Level Examinations. Sad to say, I’m barely half the man Amos is now when I was his age, and I’m embarrassed of myself back then: such a spineless do-gooder.

Limpeh: Do you feel sorry for Amos Yee? Or do you think he brought all this upon himself, 自作自受?

Alvin: I definitely feel sorry for him, as nobody ever deserves prosecution for saying things, no matter how vile or offensive those things are. That’s the basic principle underlying free speech, and we’re reminded again that it doesn’t exist in Singapore, that there’s no mercy for anyone who dares to criticize the government, even if you’re just a child. Lee Hsien Loong is a tyrant, just like his dad, except without the administrative and leadership capabilities of his father. We cannot say that he has brought this upon himself, because that puts the blame squarely on him. Should we put the blame on politicians, activists, NGOs, and student leaders who’re arrested for their political beliefs? They’re exercising a fundamental human right. So, no, it’s the PAP who brought this upon him, and they ought to be really ashamed of themselves for persecuting a young boy who was telling the truth as it is.

Limpeh: Amos Yee clearly thrives on attention - do you think he would be content in the West, or would he be looking for new ways to provoke those around him to get that attention he wants? I just can't see Amos Yee settling down to life in the UK or US (or anywhere else) quietly... That's just not his style, no. 

Alvin: It’s premature and presumptuous to say whether he would be able to rise to prominence in the West, given the cacophony of offensive content produced in the West, or whether he would need to resort to “provocation” to get the attention that he wants. He’s clearly creative and possesses the ability to attract an audience. I wouldn’t be worried about him at all. He just needs to be allowed to flourish in a place where he doesn't need to worry about being arrested for having opinions. I have confidence that he will make it big and not fade into obscurity. Not many sixteen-year-olds are as intelligent and astute as he is, and, given the proper guidance and pursuing the right path, he would excel tremendously.

Limpeh: Now I like attention, you like attention but there's good attention and there's bad attention - sometimes the wrong kind of attention can cause a huge amount of emotion distress; I don't think Amos can tell the difference between the two yet given how he just wants attention of any kind. From your experience, can you advice Amos on how to seek the right kind of attention and avoid the wrong kind? 

Alvin: The right kind of attention does not get us into trouble and set us back in terms of our liberty, finances, and reputation. That is also something I painfully learnt from my 2013 Bah Kut Teh saga. The right kind of attention endears us to more and more people, makes us money, and increases our social power and mobility. I’m sure Amos knows this. He’s quite on the right track in that he monetizes his YouTube video and knows how to get hits. Unfortunately, he miscalculated when it comes to the legal repercussions that we would attract when he criticized Singapore’s beloved God.

Remember the whole Bak Kut Teh saga?

Limpeh: Is that why you did that R&B cover of the Muslim call to prayer? After all, if you were to do porn in LA, it's really no big deal as California has the world's largest porn industry and you'll be just another porn star in LA. Remember back in 2012, Alvivi was a such big deal as there was no one else in Malaysia doing what you guys did - hence you had to turn to something new now that you're living in California?

Alvin: I think one shouldn't assume that I did the Azan cover to get a reaction. I was just dicking around on a free day, entertaining a closely-knit community of 10,000 or so of my dearest followers, but it blew up, because anything I say or do about Islam, Muslims will use it to condemn and denigrate me further. They just hate me and are super-jealous that I not only escaped their bullshit mob justice nonsense to imprison me for years but also am currently living quite the awesome life in Los Angeles, the city of dreams, while they toil fruitlessly in Bolehland for a meager subsistence. People like me and Amos don’t have political correctness filters in our minds; we say what we think, and we assume that it wouldn't be a big deal, but very often it is. I guess you can say that we aren't very good at predicting the consequences of our actions. But who, who isn't a complete spineless coward with no opinions, really is?

Limpeh: Finally, how's life in Los Angeles so far? You've been in America for nearly a year now. I love reading your Facebook status updates about your adventures in California - it is thoroughly fascinating.

Alvin: Life has been great, and I’m definitely more established in Los Angeles now than when you last interviewed me. I’m now filming an indie feature film, where I’m playing my first role with dialogue. I work as a server in an affluent area, in a mid-range restaurant, and it’s relatively easy to make a full-time living on part-time hours. I drive a sports convertible and travel pretty often (most recently, I went to Malibu). Lastly, I’ve been dating quite a few American women too, thus kickstarting my dating and social life.

It’s definitely better here than Malaysia or even Singapore. No offence.

Limpeh: Many thanks for sharing your thoughts with me again, Alvin. It is always very nice to chat to you.