December 15, 2021

Sugarbook, a website that allows its users to sell their time and companionship for money, has once again come under public scrutiny after a complaint was lodged against a Ministry of Education (MOE) teacher who was allegedly discovered on the website advertising herself as a potential ‘sugar baby’. The teacher has since resigned, and MOE is currently looking into the matter.

‘Sugar babies’ refer to people who advertise their companionship for money. On the other hand, ‘sugar daddies’ refer to people, typically wealthy men, who are looking to pay for these arrangements. In ‘MOE investigates complaint that teacher sought sugar daddy on controversial website Sugarbook’ (The Straits Times, December 2021), Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser (NUS Sociology and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy) comments on societal attitudes towards sugar babies and the underlying implications of this market in Singapore.

A/P Tan notes that although Singaporeans may not be ready to accept being a sugar baby as a profession, he postulates that it is probably more tolerable and socially acceptable than professions that provide sexual services. He also suggests that the emergence of such websites indicates a shift towards more liberal values, which suggests a relatively higher tolerance level towards practices that were previously frowned upon, including exchanging one’s companionship for money.

Websites such as Sugarbook are controversial because they could facilitate unlawful activities such as the procurement of sexual services for payment. A/P Tan notes that authorities ought to regulate and take enforcement action if the site is discovered to be contravening the law and exploiting women. In addition, he also suggests that there is good reason to tackle the underlying problems that motivate the supply of sugar babies in response to the demand for these services.

Read the article in The Straits Times here!