Singapore — “It’s my turn to speak,” wrote popular vlogger Nuseir Yassin in an Aug 9 Facebook post that has been viewed nearly 400,000 times in the past 24 hours. Mr Yassin aired his side following double controversies last week that cost him thousands of followers.
One report said he lost 300,000 followers in the wake of controversies surrounding a Nas Academy course with a venerated indigenous tattoo artist and a social entrepreneur, both in the Philippines.
But in his latest video, the Harvard-educated Israeli blogger who became hugely popular through his one-minute videos took six minutes to air his side and warn others about fake posts.
And this time, while keeping his characteristic upbeat tone, he conveyed that he was not taking fake posts sitting down, saying “I am angry, and you are angry,” and asking people that when they make an opinion, they do not base it on “fake news.”
“Over the past week, there has been a lot of fake news about Nas Daily,” was his opening salvo.
His main focus was “Nas Daily in the Philippines” saying that the minute he landed there some years ago he “fell in love,” and that his energy and that of the Philippines “were the same.”
He touted the videos he made about nature in the Philippines, as well as the stories of “inspiring” and “underprivileged” people.
“We showed the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, and together we told the story of the Philippines.”
He also mentioned the company and the app he started, and the various charitable works and fundraisers he carried out.
“There is no click-baiting here,” he insisted. “This is us doing the work on the ground to show you the bright side of the Philippines,” and added that he received an award from the “Ministry of Tourism itself” two years ago.
He went on to again call the award-winning Cacao Project of social entrepreneur Ms Louise de Guzman Mabulo “a fake story.”
The vlogger added that he and his team could not “in good conscience” continue with the feature. Claiming “that decision pissed off a lot of people,” he debunked the allegations made by social entrepreneur Ms Louise de Guzman Mabulo last week, and featured her picture, although he did not mention her name.
However, many Singaporean netizens remain unconvinced, with some commenting on how he should have just apologised and others voiced their scepticism.
/TISG
https://theindependent.sg/nas-daily-loses-over-72k-followers-in-24-hours-following-living-legend-tattoo-artist-controversy/