A man driving out of Punggol Coast Mall last Saturday (15 Aug) was alarmed to spot a young child walking alone towards the main road.
He immediately stopped his car and rushed over to bring the toddler to safety.
After searching the surrounding area, he eventually reunited the child with his father, who allegedly showed no signs of concern or remorse.
Mr Hamad G told MS News that he had brought his family to Punggol Coast Mall on 15 Aug to purchase some takeout food.
At around 6pm, he drove out of the carpark while chatting with his wife when she suddenly exclaimed: “Eh, it’s a child!”
Source: @hyfasayf on TikTok
Sure enough, a lone toddler was near the zebra crossing by the bus interchange, with no parent visibly nearby.
“Concerned for the child’s safety, I quickly brought the car to a halt to rush over to him on foot,” he explained to MS News.
Dashcam footage showed the child moving away from the zebra crossing and towards the main road.
Source: @hyfasayf on TikTok
His wife was startled by the sudden stop, especially as another car was very close behind them, and worried that they might be blocking traffic.
Mr Hamad G caught up with the child just before he stepped onto the main road, where there was also a blind spot on the right side that obscured his view.
He picked up the young boy for safety. The child remained calm and held on to him tightly.
Source: @hyfasayf on TikTok
There were two vehicles behind Mr Hamad G’s car at the time, and he signalled to the driver directly behind him to stop, ensuring that no one would be put in danger.
Mr Hamad G told MS News that he estimated the child was probably under two years old based on his size and inability to speak.
Meanwhile, his wife had been looking around for the boy’s parents but had seen no sign of them.
He then carried the young boy to the nearby Punggol Coast Bus Interchange and asked around in hopes of finding his parents, but to no avail.
Still unable to locate the toddler’s parents, Mr Hamad G continued walking along the connecting mall pathway with the child in his arms.
Source: @hyfasayf on TikTok
After covering about 300m, he eventually saw a young man approaching.
According to Mr Hamad G, the toddler’s reaction upon seeing him led him to believe that the man was his father.
Mr Hamad G approached the man and explained that he had found the toddler alone and nearing the main road, which he found alarming and dangerous.
According to his account, however, the father appeared to show no concern or remorse over what had happened.
The father showed no signs of concern or remorse; he simply took the toddler from my arms and said he was running too fast.
Mr Hamad G said the father then walked away with the toddler without thanking him or otherwise acknowledging what had happened.
He told MS News that he was left disappointed by the man’s reaction, particularly after the effort he and his wife had made to keep the child safe and locate his family.
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Featured image adapted from @hyfasayf on TikTok.