A pair of Malaysian parents shocked passers-by when they stopped their car by the roadside and approached police officers to request that they scold their son for excessive phone use.
A video of the moment quickly went viral, with many praising the officers for their compassionate handling of the situation.
In a clip, the mother could be seen opening the passenger side door of their parked car.
The father then spoke with two on-duty police officers as they approached the young boy, sitting quietly in the car, clearly surprised.
Source: Penang Kini on Facebook
According to the parents, their son had been glued to his phone for far too long, and they felt they needed a stronger intervention to address his behaviour.
The boy’s father explained that his son dreamed of becoming a police officer one day, but his excessive phone use was standing in the way of that dream becoming a reality.
Curious, one of the officers asked if the boy disliked studying. The father responded that his son was actually very good in school.
The boy, who appeared visibly shaken by the encounter, began to cry as the officer spoke to him.
With empathy, the officer gently advised the boy to apologise to his parents for his behaviour.
Source: Penang Kini on Facebook
While many commenters supported the parents’ approach to discipline, others found it to be somewhat excessive.
Some expressed that parents should be the primary disciplinarians and questioned whether involving the police was the right approach.
Others, however, applauded the officers for stepping in and suggested that police could play a larger role in promoting discipline, even in schools.
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Featured image adapted from Penang Kini on Facebook.