Cover image via 
If you're a regular WhatsApp user, you're probably familiar with the funny and adorable stickers available on the messaging platform.
However, you might want to stop using one of them, as it has a tragic backstory that many are unaware of.
In a recent Facebook post, Syed Mohamad Nazli Syed Ahmad Jamalullail called on the public to refrain from using the sticker of a man crying while covering his mouth.
He explained that while the sticker may seem amusing, it is highly inappropriate to use it in a humorous context, such as a meme.
"The photo [is of] my friend, Zulkifli Mohd Noor, from Pondok Upeh, Balik Pulau, Penang.
"This picture of him was taken as he wept in grief while recounting the events of the 2004 tsunami. In that tragedy, Zul lost five of his children, including his only son, when the waves struck Pantai Pasir Panjang in Balik Pulau.
"Zulkifli's five children who perished were: Siti Nurain, 17; Mohd Shukri, 12; Siti Nur Shuhada, 10; Siti Nur Atikah, 9; and Siti Suraya, 5.
"The children who survived were Siti Fairuz, 16, and Siti Zulaikha, 1," said Syed Mohamad.
He acknowledged that the individual who first used the photo in a joking context likely did so unknowingly, but urged people to stop using images of strangers for entertainment, especially without consent.
Image via Facebook
At the time of writing, a reupload of Syed Mohamad's post has garnered over 850 shares on Facebook
"Keep sharing this post. Spread awareness about this," read a comment, while a netizen said, "Taking someone's photo and sharing it freely without permission is an unethical act."
Image via Facebook
The photograph in question dates back to the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history
Triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, the tsunami struck on 26 December and claimed more than 200,000 lives across multiple countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
Many of the victims were tourists spending their Christmas holidays at coastal resorts, such as Phuket, Thailand. Indonesia was the hardest hit, with over 130,000 recorded fatalities, reported the New Straits Times.
In Malaysia, 76 people were killed, with 52 of the deaths occurring in Penang.
Zulkifli's five children marked the biggest loss from a single family.
"To this day, there is no real closure for Zulkifli. The family does not speak about it, let alone set foot on the beach since.
"In one of his final interviews conducted a decade after the incident, Zulkifli had said that he could still hear his children's screams before going to bed," the English daily reported in 2020.
The photo in question was taken by AFP stringer Tengku Bahar on 28 December 2004, and is currently available for licensing on Getty Images.
Image via Facebook
