MCA: Baby dumping should not be criminalised

By Melissa Chi

August 13, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said today that criminalising the act of dumping babies would backfire and worsen the current situation.
He told reporters that meting out the death penalty on those who abandon babies would be too heavy a punishment.
“MCA does not agree in the baby dumping issue with (categorising it under) a death penalty crime,” he said.
He said such a heavy sentence would backfire.
“We think that such cases will be more rampant, done in a harder-to-trace manner considering the dire consequences,” Dr Chua (picture) said.
“Now, at least (the mothers) abandon live babies, but with the criminalisation they might even bury babies alive,” he pointed out.
Despite severe penalties proposed for dumping babies, 60 abandoned baby cases have been reported while the Cabinet has agreed to a proposal by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil that those who abandon babies resulting in death should be investigated under section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Dr Chua said the only solutions are through education and a change of mentality in society, and by creating a support system.
“If we do not reach out and only know how to punish people, then they will behave like criminals,” he said, adding that their action would be a “self-fulfilling prophecy”.
He said the MCA would launch a sex education campaign next month, which would be spearheaded by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.
He quickly added that the campaign would be called “Awareness of Sexual Reproduction” instead of “Sex Education”.
“To penalise mothers of unwanted babies is unfair,” he said, pointing out that the father also has an equal responsibility towards the baby.
“Where are the men? Should hold men accountable as well,” he said.
Dr Chua agreed that baby hatches might be one solution.
OrphanCare, a non-governmental organisation based in Petaling Jaya, will be the first organisation in the country to launch a “baby hatch” centre after getting the green light from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and the Welfare Department.
The NGO will launch the centre next month, joining several countries in the world which had adopted it.
The centre will accept babies and children abandoned by their single mothers or parents. They will be kept for a maximum of three months before a suitable family is found to adopt them.
“If society does not reach out to them, the only way is to abandon the babies,” Dr Chua said.