PETALING JAYA: Local YouTube sensation Sugu Pavithra are reported to be pulling out of social media and giving up a public life to concentrate on their family.
The report comes a day after the couple removed all their cooking videos on YouTube which had drawn more than 786,000 followers and attracted the attention of national leaders such as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the prime minister.
M Sugu was quoted by Sinar Harian as saying that he and his wife, Pavithra, had decided to not be involved in activities that attract public attention.
Five days ago, Sugu was charged at Ipoh Sessions Court with unlawful possession of a 26-inch sickle at the Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun’s parking compound. The same afternoon, he was charged with hitting his wife the same day.
The former plantation labourer was accused of hitting 28-year-old Pavithra using a handphone and a sickle which caused injuries to her lips, left cheek and right arm.
In today’s media interview, Sugu said: “We deleted our cooking videos because we do not want to have any links to YouTube. There are other people on YouTube who can cook but why are we the centre of attention? Give us some time to focus on our family”.
Although their video channel has been closed, their Facebook page remained open, with the latest video posted on July 15 showing the husband cooking a crab curry, in a departure from previous videos which had featured S. Pavithra.
Pavithra had captured national attention with her fluent commentary in Bahasa Malaysia as she prepared simple home-cooked dishes. Her videos had been viewed 35 million times, and the couples earnings from the YouTube channel allowed them to move into a rented house of their own.
She was also featured in a photo shoot that showed her in captivating poses.
Sugu’s mother, G Rajeswari said that she hopes her son and daughter-in-law can get past their recent problems. “I followed their news on television and I hope they will go through the challenge together. As a mother, of course I am worried about them,” she added.
