KUALA LUMPUR: A young father's video share, where he apologises to his baby daughter whom he is holding tightly in his arms while taking shelter from the rain, has gone viral.
"Forgive Baba (Daddy), my dear daughter, for letting you get exposed to the heat and rain.
"Insya-Allah, one day we will be shielded from harsh weather wherever we go," expressed Apai in the video posted on TikTok.
Apai's video showing him taking shelter under an overhead bridge with his 17-month-old baby daughter Nur Arisya attracted more than 288,000 views as of yesterday.
In the comment section, many netizens prayed that Apai remains strong and steadfast in putting food on the table and looking out for his family's well-being, beside expressing their awe and admiration for his sacrifices as a husband and father.
Apai, 35, said he was very touched and humbled by the compassion shown by netizens but stressed that he did not upload the video to gain sympathy.
In fact, Apai, who works as an assistant at a spare parts shop, only wished to share a precious moment between him and his baby daughter.
"The video was shot about a week ago when I had stopped to seek shelter under a bridge along the Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE).
"At the time, I was on the way to send Nur Arisya to my mother's house but I stopped for a while because it was drizzling and I did not want my baby daughter to get wet.
"While resting, I shot the video with my beloved child and put it up on TikTok the very next day.
"I was shocked when it garnered so much attention, there were even those who wanted to buy a helmet for Nur Arisya," he said when contacted by Harian Metro.
Apai, who lives in Setapak here, said he had felt guilty when many misconstrued his post and hoped that this explanation would help clear the air.
"My wife and I are not well off, but we do have enough for ourselves because both of us work.
"Thankful thus far that we are blessed with good health and do not rely on aid, but we do receive with open arms if there are those who willingly want to help out in any way.
"I am sorry if what I shared ended up causing confusion. It was never my intention to attract attention but really to be grateful and be appreciative of those who pray for us and wish us well," he added.
