Malaysian woman apologises to 11-year-old daughter for 'only' spending $300k on her birthday

A Malaysian influencer has apologised to her daughter for 'only' spending RM1 million (S$303,000) on her 11th birthday, drawing criticism from netizens.

In a video posted to Farhana Zahra's TikTok account on Monday (June 2), she documented the elaborate celebration and also apologised for the amount she'd spent for the special day.

"This is all mum can afford. Mum only spent 1 million for this birthday," she wrote in the clip. 

At the start of the video, Farhana, who has over 1.8 million followers on the social media platform, is seen walking down the stairs holding two of her daughters as photographers snap photos and guests cheer.

Midway through, she presents her daughter with gifts, which included a brand-new Apple desktop computer and a Rolex watch. Behind the family stands a large banner adorned with pink balloons.

But the surprises didn't end there.

Toward the end of the video, her daughter, Yaya, is gifted with a black Toyota multi-purpose vehicle, prompting a heartfelt hug between mother and daughter.

@farhanazahra91 Selamat ulang tahun Yaya yang ke 11 tahun, besar da anak mama, semoga cita-cita untuk menjadi business women berjaya menjadi kenyataan ? #farhanazahra91 #farhanazahra #cikna ♬ original sound - Farhana Zahra

Former driver gifted a brand-new Mercedes

In a separate video, Farhana, who's reportedly a beauty and lifestyle brand founder, surprised a special guest — her daughter's former driver — with a brand-new luxury car as part of the birthday celebrations.

The red Mercedes-Benz was unveiled after being delivered to the car porch by a trailer truck, drawing the attention of party guests.

Farhana then expressed her gratitude to the driver, who had worked for the family for two years, and gifted him the car.

She also wished him success in his career as a technician and expressed hope that the gift would support his future journey.

In the comments section of the post, several netizens have criticised the lavish spending, with some questioning the mother's parenting style. 

One commenter wrote, "Even 10 ringgit, if given sincerely from a mother's heart, is more meaningful than spending 1 million just to show off for content."

Another said the gesture felt emotionally conflicting, adding: "I don't know if I should be happy or sad, but either way, this doesn't seem like the right way to raise a child."

One commenter also chided: "I know you're a successful founder, but don't say 'only one million.' It might be a small amount to you, but to others, it's a lot."

Both videos have since garnered over three million views and more than 196,000 likes combined. 

xingying.koh@asiaone.com

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