‘Selling my body for a plate of nasi bujang’

Some say sex work is the easiest job out there because you can earn money quickly. Perhaps that is why a lot of students are getting on sugar dating websites and apps.

For former male sex worker "Adam Harris" (not his real name) though, it was the hardest job he ever had.

“I was in university when I first got into the trade, six years ago,” he said. “I was at the tail-end of my last semester, and I desperately needed money to purchase many things to complete my final-year-project.

“However, my family was in a tight fix and I had used up the allowance from my student loan to pay off the monthly rent. I was broke.”

When he called his dad to ask for help, he was told to quit studying. Adam didn’t want to do that. “My late mom had once told me, ‘Study no matter what because that will make life easy later on’,” he recalled.

The only other family member who was able to help Adam out was his oldest brother - since he was working - but he and Adam did not get along well. He saw Adam as “soft” so he treated Adam differently.

Adam doesn’t blame his family for not wanting or caring enough to help him at the time. Growing up poor and with big dreams, this was not the first time he had to make tough choices so he would be able to have a future for himself.

And so he did what some students do to push through in times of desperation - Adam started ...