PETALING JAYA, May 3 — Datuk Aliff Syukri today apologised for uploading a video on Instagram which showed him applying ointment on his injured 9-year-old daughter after disciplining her with a cane for taking off her hijab.

"I humbly apologise in crossing the line in recording and uploading it on social media,” Aliff told Astro Awani in a report today. Cess (the nickname of his daughter, Qadejah El Zahra) is my only daughter, and I care for her deeply.

"I want to be a perfect father. It was not showing off, it was merely something I wanted to share with my followers.”

In the April 24 post on Instagram, Aliff had captioned, "Today, I hit her with a cane because I want her to understand the meaning of a girl’s dignity,” adding that his daughter had a habit of taking off her hijab in front of unfamiliar men.

The video which has garnered over 986,000 views to date, remains on his Instagram account which has some 3.1 million followers.

After the initial uproar by social media users condemning the punishment of his daughter, as well as shaming her by uploading the video online, Aliff uploaded another video on April 30.

This time he told his detractors to "mind their own children, and not interfere with his affairs concerning his daughter.”

On the same day, non-governmental organisation Protect and Save the Children, a member of the Child Rights Coalition Malaysia lodged a police report, saying the act constituted physical abuse.

Aliff said he had no idea the matter would escalate to the point of NGOs being involved.

"I never expected an uproar.

"Once again, I apologise to all parties, I understand I am wrong and I am ignorant.”

He said officers from the Social Welfare Department had paid a visit to his office yesterday morning, but both he and his wife were busy with professional engagements.

"They probably wanted to meet both of us on the issue.”

His wife Datin Seri Nur Shahida meanwhile said their daughter had the flair for theatrics, just like her father.

"Truthfully, she takes after him. She talks a lot, and is ‘dramatic’.

"Actually, Cess was crying in the video as my husband was applying ointment, not because she was in pain, but because she was taken aback that her father was doing so.

"My husband only meant to teach his child a lesson. He never forced Cess to wear the hijab, she was the one who chose to do so since January 1.”