A Malaysian Chinese student was photographed by his teacher discreetly eating his meal in the classroom during break time out of respect for his Muslim classmates who are fasting during the month of Ramadan.

The actions of the child, done out of his own accord, has been lauded in Malaysia and beyond.

The photo of the child was shared on Facebook on April 14, 2021, by Syafiq Izwan Kassim.

Ate lunch at desk due to Covid-19 measures

The caption of the post said the teacher instructed the non-Muslim students to eat their packed lunches at their desks during the break, which was what they did while in the classroom.

The Muslim students observing Ramadan rested at their tables.

The practice of packing food to school to eat at the desk has been encouraged as it is one of the measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Lowered head to eat

As the non-Muslim students started to eat, one of the children could be seen lowering his head and food to consume his meal.

The teacher shared that the student observed these actions out of respect for his Muslim classmates who were fasting and resting during lunch hour.

The teacher also praised the child's parents for raising the boy to be socially aware and empathetic.

The photo has since gained widespread attention in Malaysia.

One post of the photos has received more than 53,000 reactions.

Boy praised

Malaysians commenting online were quick to praise the student.

Some suggested getting the teacher to praise the child in front of the class to set a good example for others to follow.

Others said the child's actions were thoughtful and to be lauded, as he did something he actually did not have to do because most fasting Muslims are not sensitive to other people eating around them.

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country with a Malay-Muslim majority, and a sizeable minority comprising of Chinese and Indians.