SHAH ALAM - After the move by Terengganu state to criminalise pregnancy and childbirth out of wedlock for Muslim women, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) have urged Putrajaya to implement sexual education backed by science as punitive action is not the answer.
Its president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said such punitive actions and restrictive laws has not shown to decrease unplanned pregnancies.
"Punitive actions and restrictive laws only served to convert safe antenatal care and delivery for many women and adolescents to one of unsafe pregnancy and childbirth fraught with life threatening circumstances and possibility of permanent harm to health.
"Punitive actions had not been shown to ever decrease unplanned pregnancies in the many decades of research.
"The current climate of fear and stigmatisation of unwed mothers had already resulted in many negative consequences for many involved such as school dropouts, stopping work, poverty, domestic violence and ill health, both physically and mentally," he said.
He also stressed that Malaysia recorded one of the hightest maternal mortality rates in 2021 at 68.2 per 100,000 live births.
In addition, the baby dumping rate of 100 per year for the past few decades had not decreased with youths facing lack of knowledge on repreductive health.
Therefore, he urged all authorities and lawmakers to implement this life changing issue for women, girls, families, communities and the nation with compassion and to place health as the utmost priority.
Last week Terengganu shariah implementation, education and higher education committee chairman Satiful Bahri Mamat was reported as saying that these amendments include penalties of up to RM5,000, as well as imprisonment of no more than three years, a maximum six strokes of the rotan, or both.
Apart from criminalising out-of-wedlock pregnancies and birth, the shariah amendments also criminalise witchcraft and black magic, females dressing as men and sodomy.
Its president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said such punitive actions and restrictive laws has not shown to decrease unplanned pregnancies.
"Punitive actions and restrictive laws only served to convert safe antenatal care and delivery for many women and adolescents to one of unsafe pregnancy and childbirth fraught with life threatening circumstances and possibility of permanent harm to health.
"Punitive actions had not been shown to ever decrease unplanned pregnancies in the many decades of research.
"The current climate of fear and stigmatisation of unwed mothers had already resulted in many negative consequences for many involved such as school dropouts, stopping work, poverty, domestic violence and ill health, both physically and mentally," he said.
He also stressed that Malaysia recorded one of the hightest maternal mortality rates in 2021 at 68.2 per 100,000 live births.
In addition, the baby dumping rate of 100 per year for the past few decades had not decreased with youths facing lack of knowledge on repreductive health.
Therefore, he urged all authorities and lawmakers to implement this life changing issue for women, girls, families, communities and the nation with compassion and to place health as the utmost priority.
Last week Terengganu shariah implementation, education and higher education committee chairman Satiful Bahri Mamat was reported as saying that these amendments include penalties of up to RM5,000, as well as imprisonment of no more than three years, a maximum six strokes of the rotan, or both.
Apart from criminalising out-of-wedlock pregnancies and birth, the shariah amendments also criminalise witchcraft and black magic, females dressing as men and sodomy.