The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the heroics of medical personnel celebrated, as frontliners work to fight against the dangerous spread of the coronavirus. And in one of the more unorthodox stories so far, a former air stewardess has donated RM8,000 to medical frontliners at Sungai Buloh Hospital.
Natalie is a “sugar baby” who is registered on the controversial dating app, Sugarbook—where she met her current “sugar daddy”. According to the official website, relationships formed on the platform are “mutually beneficial relationships”, with a sugar daddy offering “mentorship” and “financial support” in exchange for “companionship” from his sugar baby.
The donation of RM8,000 is an entire month’s worth of allowance for Natalie, with the sugar baby explaining that medical frontliners deserve the help:
“Having been through many of life’s challenging circumstances, I for one know what it’s like going through hardships, although I cannot quite imagine the levels of turmoil these medical frontliners are enduring at—with barely much time to take care of themselves, or even enjoy a simple meal to begin with.”
Dr Ainul Husna, from Sungai Buloh Hospital’s CSR team, received the donation, with the donation used to buy items including basic necessities such as biscuits, instant noodles, and toiletries.
“Life is too short, so let’s do everything we can to help out people now. We can also do our part by obeying the Movement Control Order or MCO set by the government to help flatten the curve and stop the spread of the deadly virus.”
Sugarbook is a platform that has garnered some controversy, and the company’s 2019 billboard ad was the subject of severe criticism in Malaysia. The billboard was located near Jalan Maarof in Bangsar and Jalan Dutamas in Mount Kiara, although DBKL swiftly ordered for the advert to be taken down.
In response to allegations over the ethics of the company, Sugarbook’s founder and CEO Darren Chan has argued that the platform is a way for its users to find ideal relationships. Additionally, he insisted:
“Sugar Babies are not illegal sex workers.”
