MELAKA: The mother of the young girl who went viral wearing a ‘Spiderman’ superhero costume and soliciting sympathy from the public at a petrol station here recently, denied that her child is a beggar, and claimed to be unaware of the matter. Nor Hafika Mohd Shamsul, 30, said she had no idea that her eldest child was taken out by her foster father, whom she had known for almost 20 years, until she was informed by the Melaka Social Welfare Department (JKM). The woman said her seven-year-old child had only followed her foster father, known as "Uncle Awe," wearing the costume a few times. "I thot she was just sitting behind my foster father, I didn't know she was there as a mascot (wearing the costume to elicit sympathy). Nor Hafika, who hails from Masjid Tanah and works as a caregiver, said her child likes the Spiderman character and the costume was found at a second-hand clothing collection centre in Tangga Batu in December.

Source: The Star February 11, 2026 17:56 UTC