From tears to smiles: PM Anwar gives crying boy RM50 after toy car breaks

A young boy who was reduced to tears when his toy car broke received an unexpected boost from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who handed him RM50 (S$16) to buy a replacement.

In a video shared on Threads by user heylyzarashid, Anwar is seen approaching the upset child and comforting him after noticing his broken toy car.

The prime minister then handed the boy RM50, telling him: "Your toy car is broken. Atok will get you another one. Keep this one (the broken toy) and use this (the money) to buy a new one, something nicer and bigger, okay?"

"Atok", which Anwar used to refer to himself, is a Malay term commonly used for "grandfather".

Anwar's wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was also present, alongside Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and her deputy, Lim Hui Ying.

The encounter took place on Saturday (Nov 7) during the National Family Month 2026 celebrations at the Selangor International Trade Centre, the New Straits Times (NST) reported on Sunday.

In her Threads post, heylyzarashid recalled that her nephew had been "crying uncontrollably after his toy car broke", adding that Anwar had given him RM50 to buy a new one.

The video drew reactions from social media users, with one commenting: "No status or rank, just a grandfather who could not bear to see a young child crying."

In its report on the incident, Malaysian news outlet Malaysia Dateline also highlighted another social media user's comment, which described the encounter as a meaningful memory for the boy: "When you grow up, watch this video again and remember how PMX [Anwar] gave you cash on the spot and told you to buy a new toy car."

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helmy.saat@asiaone.com