Girlfriend search sparks buzz on Twitter
He claims he is the world's most handsome guy, a multi-talented person who is capable of whipping up a sumptuous meal, sings exceptionally well, and knows how to sew and mend his shirt skillfully. He also describes himself as a very adorable and romantic person and that any girl who will be with him is guaranteed to be very happy.
35-year-old Steven Lim, who is a professional singer and founder of a modeling agency that supposedly features over 2,000 models, has recently become the centre of attention on micro-blogging site Twitter for his attempts to find a teenage girlfriend who is at least 13 years younger his age.
He frequently broadcasts on Twitter that he is looking for a girlfriend, and even asks interested parties to contact him via his mobile phone number. The requirements for his prospective girlfriend-to-be: she has to be faithful and gorgeous, and must fall between the age of 16 and 22.
In an interview with Yahoo! Singapore, Steven Lim revealed that he began his quest a month ago after his relationship with his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend soured, and has since received eight applications to become his girlfriend.
He said: "I broke up with my previous 16-year-old girlfriend because she two-timed me, so I decided to take on Twitter to find a new one. My parents worked so hard to raise me, and I'm determined to find a good wife who will take good care of them."
When asked about why he prefers younger girls rather than someone close to his age, Steven explained it is due to his child-like character and that a young girl is more likely not to have a tainted past relationship record.
Entertaining or appalling?
Many netizens, however, find his tweets hilarious rather than annoying. Cindy Ang posted on Twitter: "Reading Steven Lim's tweets is like making me more wide awake. So entertaining, especially his replies to people."
Speaking to Yahoo! Singapore, Cassandra Yap thinks Steven Lim is an attention seeker, but a successful one.
She said: "He does things that are hilarious (posting pictures of himself dancing in undies), and he is one of my sources of entertainment. He is not irritating but his actions and tweets really make people like us laugh and wonder if he is mentally normal."
On the other hand, a few parents and experts Yahoo! Singapore contacted are appalled by Steven Lim's actions.
"This is totally unacceptable, and I'm absolutely disgusted by his actions," proclaimed 42-year-old Bryan Lee. "I hope he stops preying on young innocent girls through social networking sites."
Teenage relationship counsellor Priscilla Tan warned that teenage girls should not fall for such sweet talk, and advised parents to keep a lookout on their child's online activity.
It is also reported that Steven Lim occasionally solicits potential teenage female models. According to a 14-year-old girl from CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) School who wishes to remain in anonymous, "I was at Junction 8, and he stopped me and asked if I would like to become a model. He then gave me his mobile phone number and said, 'See you later babe'," she added.
In 2008, Steven Lim was in the media spotlight for posting a message on his site offering $5,000 cash to anyone who wants to be his girlfriend, but he did not receive a single application.
Despite his eccentric actions, Steven Lim's modeling agency works closely with Mediacorp and Singapore Press Holdings, according to an official letter obtained by Yahoo! Singapore.
Daniel Ho, a 32-year-old badminton coach for River Valley High School and part-time actor, said he would not have the opportunity to act for over 20 Mediacorp drama series without Steven Lim's help.
He said: "He's crazy in a good way, and I believe his antics have brought him where he is today. I initially thought he was all talk and no action, but he has actually helped me a lot as my agent."
"Most people doubt what he does and (they) don't know that he always delivers on time what he promises, and has a lot of integrity in the way he runs his agency," he added.
Steven Lim also claims he is a professional singer who has penned and sung two commercial Chinese songs, which have received a huge response but mostly of a negative nature on YouTube.
The writer is a 17-year-old technology blogger who loves social media and gadgets. He is also Singapore's No. 1 Twitter user, with 192,000 followers.
