Malaysia is grappling with the rising cases of abandoned babies, “forcing” the Malaysian police to investigate baby-dumping cases under the Malaysian Penal Code for murder or attempt murder. The Malaysian public blame premarital sex on the over-exposure to sexually-liberal western culture, while the Malaysian government considers including sex education in school syllabus. Experts, on the other hand, say the first step to curb the rising trend is to start educating the young about their choices.
Linda became pregnant when she was just about to graduate from high school. Not knowing what to do, the 20-year-old was devastated as her parents wanted her pregnancy to remain a secret. But later she found the Kewaja Rehabilitation centre, a women’s shelter in Kuala Lumpur — which has now become her temporary home until she is due in October this year. Pre-marital sex and having a child out of wedlock is deemed deeply shameful in Malaysia — a Muslim majority country.
They are not only regarded as a sin, but may also be a punishable crime. Muslim couples found guilty of fornicating could be fined up to thousands of U. S. dollars, jailed or caned. Linda was fortunate to have sought help from a shelter. But in a society where abortion is prohibited, many girls who share her experience are left stranded and eventually choose to abandon their babies. This year alone, the Malaysian police have discovered 65 abandoned infants, most of them dead by the time they were found.
