BTH: Sugar Babies: Where does consent end and exploitation begin? [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: Sugar baby arrangements do not automatically constitute criminal conduct, but those involving coercion, exploitation or sexual services may cross legal boundaries, a criminologist has warned.

Speaking on this week's Beyond the Headlines, criminologist Dr Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid said authorities must assess the circumstances of each case, as financial assistance between consenting adults does not, by itself, amount to solicitation or prostitution.

She said describing payments as gifts or allowances did not automatically place such arrangements outside the law, adding that the nature of the exchange and the conduct involved were crucial in determining whether an offence had occurred.

Haezreena also warned that financial dependence could become a means of control, with seemingly consensual relationships escalating into manipulation, pressure to engage in unwanted sexual activities, blackmail or extortion.

Other warning signs include grooming, emotional manipulation and isolation, as well as threats to expose private messages or photographs when one party attempts to end the relationship.

She said universities should strengthen financial assistance, counselling services and confidential reporting mechanisms to help vulnerable students seek support without fear of humiliation or disciplinary action.

She added that policymakers and relevant agencies needed better evidence on the extent of exploitation linked to such arrangements to develop targeted prevention measures and ensure accountability.

Rather than treating all transactional relationships as exploitative, she said, efforts should focus on identifying coercion and abuse while ensuring those affected could access help.

More in the latest episode of NST's Beyond the Headlines on NST Online's YouTube channel.