S'porean mother, 30, horrified when stranger on MRT attempts to feed toddler son half-eaten bun

Singaporean mum Yanti Lala was on the MRT when she noticed a male commuter who had just boarded approach her direction, eventually choosing to sit on the floor next to her son's pram.

The fellow commuter immediately started eating a bun, which she did not pay much heed to at first, except for a fleeting thought that he was breaking the no-eating rule.

To her horror, the stranger allegedly tried to feed her son his half-eaten bun.

Yanti subsequently posted to TikTok about the incident, which has garnered over 118,000 views at the time of writing.

"We shouldn't normalise feeding [a] stranger's child," she wrote in her caption with an angry face emoji.

Yanti told Mothership that she was travelling from Jurong East to Bukit Gombak on the night of Sep. 11 when it happened.

Her son, Khalis, is 17 months old.

"Happened in a split second"

According to Yanti, she was seated in the priority seat, with Khalis in his pram in front of her, and her other son in the seat next to hers.

She recalls talking to the other son, turning her attention away from Khalis for just a moment.

But that moment was enough for the stranger to attempt the feeding.

"It happened so quickly that by the time I realised what was happening, the pau was already right in front of Khalis' mouth," Yanti said on TikTok.

And Khalis was about to take a bite.

"I immediately screamed and pulled Khalis closer to me," Yanti continued.

"Who in their right mind thinks it's okay to feed a stranger's baby, especially with half-eaten food?!"

Stranger shakes head

Yanti said the stranger looked shocked and gasped when she screamed, with the expression on his face making it seem like she was overreacting.

In the video, Khalis looks at the stranger dressed in a lime green shirt, who continued to eat his bun while shaking his head.

Yanti said she repeatedly told her son "No" and turned the pram away to make it clear he was not allowed to eat the bun.

She noted that besides the hygiene concerns, there was no way of her knowing if the pau was halal.

"We are Muslim, so I am careful about what my children consume and whether the food is permissible for them."

"I wouldn't want my son to be eating anything with [a] stranger's saliva on it," Yanti added.

Did not confront man

Yanti added that she did not have the opportunity to confront the man as her family was already approaching their stop.

She did not report the incident to SMRT or any station staff, noting that it was her first time experiencing a situation like this.

"I don't mind when strangers sayang sayang [show affection to] my children, but to give unknown food to my child? That's a whole new level."

The mother told Mothership separately, "It may seem like a harmless gesture to some, but parents and children have different boundaries, and those should always be respected."

Users online equally shocked

Most users were shocked by the man's behaviour, with many saying there was no way of knowing if the child had allergies without consulting the parents.

Another commented on the man's behaviour, pointing out that he had "the audacity to shake his head."

Other users also noted that the stranger should not have been eating on the train in the first place, and that the man should have been reported to station staff.

According to Rapid Transit Systems Regulations, passengers in trains or stations are not allowed to consume food or drinks.

MRT signs also state that eating or drinking carries a fine of up to S$500.

@yantilala95We SHOULDNT normalize feeding strangers' child.😡♬ Saxophones getting louder - Sped Up - AntonioVivald