Meet Lai Wee Kiat
If there’s one person who needs a drink this week, it’s Mr Lai Wee Kiat. The man behind SGInstaBabes is facing sharp criticism from the public for his controversial Patreon listing.
But who exactly is he? Here are 7 facts you might not have known about Mr Lai Wee Kiat, 28.
1. Former bodybuilder
Mr Lai was a former bodybuilder — and a pretty good one at that. He won 2nd place in the welterweight category of Mr Kuala Lumpur 2012.
He went on to win the title in 2013, its youngest winner ever. Mr Lai documented his experience on his fitness blog, aptly titled “Fabodylous”. The blog charts his bodybuilding journey, which saw him go from muscular to crazy muscular in 4 years.
2. He’s an NUS alumni
Between 2009 and 2012, Mr Lai Wee Kiat attended NUS, where he majored in marketing. He later graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration.
But Mr Lai wasn’t a star student. He recalls that a year before graduation, he was lost. He said.
I had no goals. I was in NUS Business School and I wasn’t doing well at all. That was because I didn’t like where my life was heading to. I didn’t want to work 8 hours a day in an office job, but that was what my degree is leading me to.
That realisation inspired him to become a freelance fitness trainer. He offered “online training” packages for S$25 a week. Such packages rely on customers to send photos of their progress to their trainer, who then customise exercise plans for them.
3. The Lai Wee Kiat meme
Every famous person needs their own meme. And in 2014, Mr Lai created 6, which he dubbed the “angry bodybuilder” series.
We’re laughing all the way to the gym. Or not.
4. He can give Rihanna a run for her money
Bodybuilders often accompany their routine to pop songs and in 2008, Mr Lai chose Rihanna’s Take A Bow.
What happens next is hilarious:
Mind you, he was 18 at the time.
5. He’s popular with both genders
Mr Lai may be all about ’em SGInstaBabes but he’s had his fair share of male admirers.
Men have openly asked him whether he wears underwear or boxers. They’ve also asked him out on post-workout dates.
Does he enjoy the attention? Maybe a little, but not when it’s like this:
I find this very creepy. -___-" pic.twitter.com/SXIQXAN7f6
— Lai Wee Kiat (@fabodylous) January 22, 2014
6. He’s a foodie at heart
He may be ripped but Mr Lai Wee Kiat also really, really enjoys food. Just look at this post devoted entirely to a day of eating in Kuala Lumpur.
On the menu that day were slices of durian cake, roasted duck rice, roti planta and mee goreng.
7. He’s had his fair share of scandals
The latest SGInstaBabes scandal isn’t the first Mr Lai has faced. Over the past decade, he’s been involved in a nude photo leak and was accused of molesting one of the “Babes”.
Mr Lai has often chosen to air his reactions to these scandals in public. 5 years after nude photos of him and an ex-girlfriend leaked, he took to Facebook to say,
Why are you bullying the victims and supporting the criminal? I personally know several girls who are in the same situation (for some reason, I’m like the only guy in it).
And I’ve seen many insults hurled towards them, mostly by cowardly anonymous characters who wants to degrade people as much as possible.
Why is HATING so deeply embedded in our modern culture? So let’s just stop this shit. Hating and slut shaming has to go!
Will he be writing a post in response to the recent SGInstaBabes scandal? We wouldn’t be surprised if he does.
What’s next for Mr Lai?
As Mr Lai faces fresh criticism, he continues to stand by his view that there is “nothing sleazy” about SGInstaBabes. He told The Straits Times,
It’s sad that the public can only think that the only purpose of these benefits are sexualisation and objectification.
In that same interview, he confirmed that he would no longer be managing SGInstaBabes. What’s next for him then? We’ll have to wait and see.
Featured image from Lai Wee Kiat’s Twitter.
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