KUALA LUMPUR: Some 18 babies were rescued from abandonment between January and March, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Lim Hui Ying said Selangor recorded the highest number of cases (10) followed by two each in Sabah and Penang, and one each in Johor, Negri Sembilan, Perak and Sarawak.
“All the babies in cases managed by the Welfare Department are safe,” she said during Question Time on Monday (July 6).
In comparison, she said 72 cases of baby dumping were recorded last year.
She said all rescued babies are given immediate protection under the Child Act 2001(Act 611).
Lim said the Welfare Department as well as the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) are taking various measures to curb this through prevention, protection and intervention.
This includes community education and advocacy programmes on child protection alongside the legal implications of baby dumping.
“The LPPKN is also working to improve awareness on risky sexual behaviour among teenagers alongside reproductive health,” she said.
She was responding to a question by Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad (PN-Kepala Batas) who asked about statistics on cases of miscarriage and baby dumping by state and actions taken to resolve the matter.
Siti Mastura also asked whether the ministry was aware of the number of clinics that performed abortions illegally nationwide.
To this, Lim said abortion is prohibited according to the law.
“If we do have information on this, we will immediately alert the Health Ministry for further action,” she said.
On another matter, she said related agencies, including gazetted Welfare Department officers, will conduct immediate investigations to verify complaints related to child abandonment, negligence or abuse.
