An Instagram video showing a father bungee jumping while holding his 2-year-old daughter is facing backlash on social media.
In the 15-second video clip, which has since gone viral, Malaysian reality star Redha Rozlan is seen standing on the edge of a bridge in Kuala Kuba Bharu with his toddler, 2-year-old Mecca Mikaela, in his arms. A man yells “three…two…one,” before the duo is suddenly pulled backwards off of the bridge, with the toddler clutching to her father as they plunge 197 feet.
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The video has drawn plenty of backlash from concerned viewers, many taking to the comments section of adventure company Rentas Adventures’ post to criticize both the company and Rozlan for putting the toddler in danger. Some have even called for the adventure company to be shut down.
In response to the backlash, Rozlan defended his actions, writing “Chill guys. Don’t try with your kids if your kids [are] not ready for this.”
Rozlan also explained that his daughter was not coerced into the stunt and that she enjoyed it so much that she asked to go again. He added that the toddler was wearing a safety harness and the correct gear, though many pointed out that she hadn’t been wearing a helmet.
Child rights lawyer Goh Siu Lin said the child’s parents had ‘lacked proper parental judgement’ by involving her in such a dangerous activity, the New York Post reports.
“Rope spring jump is an extreme sport and dangerous and there is a high likelihood of the motions in such an activity causing physical injury to her. I have never heard of any child of that age being allowed to participate in such extreme sports,” she added.
According to Human rights lawyer Andrew Khoo, the father and the company could potentially face charges.
“Yes, action can be taken under the Child Act. This clearly breached safety requirements, too. The company operating the rope spring jump was also negligent for not preventing the parent from having the child tag along,” he said.
