Blogger: 8 days in jail 'not bad'

[TrueColors]

27 July 2013| last updated at 01:51AM

Blogger: 8 days in jail 'not bad'

By IRDIANI MOHD SALLEH AND HIDIR REDUAN | [email protected]

Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee leaving the Jalan Duta magistrate’s court after posting bail. Pic by Aizuddin Saad

OUT ON BAIL: Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee 'quite happy to be out of prison'

KUALA LUMPUR: Sex blogger Alvin Tan, who along with his girlfriend Vivian Lee have been released on bail, described his eight-day prison stint as "not bad".

Still clad in the red T-shirt and jeans when he was taken to the Sungai Buloh prison on July 18, Tan, 25, who was hounded by the media at the Jalan Duta court complex where he and Lee, 24, signed their release papers, smilingly told them this yesterday.

The couple's counsel Chong Joo Tian, during the submissions on the prosecution's preliminary objection to Tan and Lee's revision application, had told the court that his clients were put in isolation detention and this was a form of punishment. Lee, whose bail was also posted by Tan's mother, however, did not respond to the media. She served eight days at the Kajang prison.

Lee's family has not been seen at the courts, including on the day she was charged. The duo secured their conditional release from prison on Thursday on a RM30,000 bail in two sureties each after the High Court revised the Session Court's decision which had denied them bail.

The duo left the court complex in separate cars. Earlier, the couple was brought to the court's bail counter at 10am, accompanied by the police. Chong was seen briefing the couple while waiting for the court officials to process their bail documents. Tan's mother and a female friend, who were the bailors for the two, were also present.

The court official was then seen briefing the bailors and the couple on the conditions imposed by the High Court on their bail. They were released at 10.21am after they signed the bail documents. The two were seen holding hands when they left the counter.

Speaking to reporters, Chong said his clients were "quite happy to be out of prison". "They need time to rest."

In allowing them bail of RM10,000 for each of the three charges against them, judge Datuk Mohd Azman Husin imposed four conditions on the couple.

The duo had to surrender their passports to the court, report to the nearest police station once a month, are prohibited from uploading obscene photographs, provocative comments, articles or photographs on the Internet and barred from using network communication devices to upload such comments or photographs.

Tan, who is now unemployed and Lee, a kindergarten teacher, had claimed trial on July 18 at the sessions court to publishing a seditious photograph on their Facebook page "Alvin and Vivian-Alvivi".

They were also charged with uploading the photograph on their Facebook page and also exhibiting obscene photographs on their blog.