MPH Bookstore Security Guard Who Slapped 13yo Boy is Now Suspended

Buying books should be an enjoyable experience for a kid but for this teen, he may have been scared off bookstores for a long time after this traumatising incident!

A Facebook user named Lim Yaw attracted sympathy and anger from netizens after he posted about a recent incident involving his son. According to him, his son had just finished browsing in the Nu Sentral branch of the bookstore chain MPH, when he was suddenly approached by a security guard. The guard accused him of stealing a comic book and forcefully dragged him by the back of his shirt to take him into the security room. 

Comic book purchased by lim’s son | source: facebook

Without giving the 13-year-old boy a chance to explain himself, the guard then slapped him across the face – twice. A short while after that, an employee of the bookstore noticed a sticker at the back of the book that indicated it was already purchased, thus clearing the boy of his ‘crime’. Upon seeing the evidence, the security guard backed away and finally released the boy.

Source: facebook

However, just right before he let the teenager out, the guard warned him not to tell his parents. The audacity!  The boy met with Lim not long after that, who was shocked to see tears rolling down his son’s face. When he asked him what happened, he relayed the full story to his father. Enraged, Lim went to the store counter and demanded an explanation from the outlet. It was only there and then that he got an apology out of the staff.

In his status update, Lim holds nothing back, writing (in Mandarin): “What is the meaning of this? They (bookstore staff) know they’re in the wrong, yet they tried to hide the truth, and their apology was insincere. Such a major bookstore chain, yet they are bold enough to scare a 13-year-old boy like this, and don’t even hold any remorse for their actions. How can they gain the trust of children this way?” 

He goes on to state that even though it was just two physical slaps that his son endured, it does not account for the mental trauma that the incident has left behind. Lim’s son has also confessed he no longer dares to visit a bookstore. So saddening. 

Since then, Lim has lodged a police report. His full post can be read here.

In regards to the incident, MPH updated their Facebook page saying that they’ve suspended the staff responsible.

Source: facebook

We’re glad to see that MPH has stepped up and taken responsibility. This is how you manage a potential scandal and prevent it from escalating, folks!

Let’s hope the child can recover in due time, and continue fostering his love for books. 

[Update: MPH has issued a new statement on its Facebook page as of March 27 2019, 2.08pm. In the statement, they explained that they have “terminated the accused personnel”, and that they have “been in close contact with the affected customer’s parents since the incident” and “apologised to them for the untoward incident”. They have also been assisting the Royal Malaysian Police in their investigation. The full statement can be seen here.]

Also read: OKU Boy Gets Slapped for ‘Stealing’ But He Was Only Asking for Donations, Netizens Outraged