In Singapore’s political landscape, few figures have sparked as much controversy and debate as Amos Yee. Known for his provocative statements, Amos Yee emerged as a prominent figure before ending up behind bars, mired in infamy. To truly understand the motivations and ideology behind his activism, it is essential to delve into his early life and background, unearthing the lesser-known aspects that shaped his life.
Amos Yee’s family background and early years
Amos Pang Sang Yee, born on October 31, 1998, in Singapore, is the offspring of Alphonsus Yee, a computer engineer, and Mary Toh Ai Buay, a mathematics teacher. During his primary education, he attended Pei Chun Public School, where he achieved exceptional grades, earning an A* in Mathematics and Science, as well as an A in English and Chinese.
Subsequently, he enrolled in Zhonghua Secondary School but decided to discontinue his studies, despite his good academic performance. Although Amos Pang Sang Yee was raised in the Catholic faith, he currently identifies as an atheist.
Amos Yee’s rise to prominence
Amos Yee started his career as a child artist at the age of 13 with his “self-written, self-directed film” ‘Jan’ in which he portrayed four different roles. In March 2011, he won two awards at ‘The New Paper FiRST Film Festival’ for ‘Best Short Film’ and ‘Best Actor’.
Moreover, the competition judge, Jack Neo, a film director and actor, offered him an internship and cast him in his movie, ‘We Not Naughty’, for which he was allowed to write his own dialogues. In January 2012, he created the YouTube channel ‘AnusYee’ to share his short film ‘Jan’. He later discontinued the account, but joined YouTube again on July 28, 2012, and posted his first video, a review of the movie ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.
On August 10, he uploaded a sketch titled ‘How To Speak Singlish’, which immediately became viral and established him as a budding YouTuber.
Amos Yee’s girlfriend and other details on his personal life
In 2017, Amos Yee made a Facebook post unveiling his romantic relationship. In his post, Yee enthusiastically shared that he had discovered a reciprocated love with a young woman. He expressed his admiration for her intelligence and physical attractiveness, emphasising that finding this loving connection was an incredibly significant and positive experience in his life.
In his words, “I’m so touched that finally…. ‘Just be yourself’ actually worked, and after so long I finally found somebody who not only doesn’t mind the quirks of my personality that many people are turned off by, but actually enjoys them. Who genuinely feels connected to me and loves me for who I really am. I am so happy I found her. I’m so emotional just thinking about it.”
He confessed that he had faced rejection from every girl he approached, a staggering 13 times (and rest assured, there was no exaggeration in that count). It became clear to him that his thoughts and behaviour set him apart from what society typically desired and expected. He had no intention of changing unless he personally deemed a certain aspect of his character to be genuinely detrimental.
He firmly refused to compromise his authenticity, tone down his outspokenness, avoid political discussions, or conform to societal norms such as styling his hair with products. He firmly believed that there was nothing inherently wrong with staying true to himself. However, he also acknowledged that finding someone who would genuinely love him for who he was might take a considerable amount of time.
Amos Yee’s career
At the age of 16, he made waves after uploading a YouTube video criticising Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore, shortly after Lee’s passing on March 23, 2015. He faced legal charges for offending religious sentiments and engaging in obscenity, and in May 2015, he was found guilty and sentenced to four weeks in jail.
Subsequently, in September 2016, he was once again arrested and sentenced to a six-week jail term and a $2,000 fine for offending religious feelings. His case garnered global attention, with some perceiving him as a champion of free speech while others viewed him as a provocateur.
In December 2016, Yee fled Singapore and sought asylum in the United States. Despite resistance from the Department of Homeland Security, Amos Yee was granted asylum by a US immigration court in 2017.
While he remains a divisive figure in Singapore, as an enfant terrible he garnered support from individuals who shared his perspectives on free speech and political reform.
Amos Yee’s imprisonment in the US
In October 2020, Amos Yee was apprehended by the US authorities after they obtained messages he had exchanged with a 14-year-old girl from Texas between April and July 2019.
During that period, Yee shared explicit photographs with the girl using WhatsApp. Prosecutors stated that the girl had informed Yee of her age on multiple occasions.
Yee initially became acquainted with the girl when he was 20 years old. Their relationship came to an end when the girl reported it to a group of individuals who aimed to expose individuals involved in child exploitation.
During his sentencing for charges related to grooming and possession of child pornography, a judge cautioned Yee about the possibility of being deported to Singapore and being barred from re-entering the United States. /TISG