KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun today apologised after a picture of her hand-feeding a six-year-old blind girl, daughter of drummer Fendy Adlun from local band Caliph Buskers, went viral on social media.

The Women, Community, and Family Development minister said that she acted upon the request of the six-year-old Nur Azalea Zafirah.

"Firstly, I would like to apologise for the alleged violation of the SOP to feed food to a disabled child named Nur Azalea Zafirah,that has raised questions and concerns for some parties.

"My heart was touched when the child said nak aunty suap (aunty, can you feed me). In order not to disappoint this special child, I continue to feed her as part of a psychosocial approach in expressing my love as a woman to children, let alone to this less fortunate person,” she said in a statement today.

She stressed that she practices personal hygiene such as keeping her hand sanitised and wore a mask all times.

Rina received flak for ignoring Covid-19 protocols by hand-feeding the blind girl.