KUALA LUMPUR: A heartwarming video capturing a couple's act of kindness towards a young boy collecting donations in a panda costume has touched the hearts of many online.
In the TikTok video shared by @lilman_southcoast, a man is seen ordering at a café when the boy unexpectedly lifts his panda head, revealing his true identity as a 12-year-old.
Initially mistaken for an adult, the revelation stunned the couple.
During their conversation, the boy shared that he was the eldest of four siblings and had been earning pocket money by dressing as a panda since he was 10.
His father works as a contractor, and his mother stays home to care for his siblings.
The touching video has garnered over 537,100 views and 43,500 likes, with many netizens expressing sympathy for the boy's situation.
User @ayoi1910 commented that she never realised children might be behind costumes asking for donations, and now that she knows, she will "try to help them."
@theoneandonlymyzhrmzn shared a similar story from Terengganu, where a 9 to 10-year-old boy dresses up as a bear to collect donations.