Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) must be implemented to curb baby dumping issues - SIS

SHAH ALAM - Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is urgently required in the school syllabus in order to prevent unforeseen circumstances such as unplanned pregnancy and curb the baby dumping issue in Malaysia.

Women's right organisation, Sisters in Islam (SIS) communication officer Aleza Othman said that baby dumping is an ongoing, continuous, and harmful social issue happening in Malaysia; however, there is no recent official data on baby dumping.

In order to prevent and reduce the baby dumping issue, Aleza viewed the CSE as mandatory in all schools in Malaysia.

"CSE can also provide young girls and boys with the right knowledge and information on sexual and reproductive health and rights, knowledge on contraceptives, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and illnesses, foster healthy relationships with peers and adults, and protect them from harassment and sexual abuse.

"Considering how important it is for CSE to be incorporated into the school syllabus, it must not be slipped in between physical education, science, and religious subjects and must be a standalone subject," she told Sinar Daily.

Not only through education, she said that children's understanding of sexuality must be actively communicated and taught by parents.

Parents must also feel at ease discussing sex and sexuality with their kids in an open manner, serving as their kids' primary source of information on the matter, Aleza said.

"The conversation on sex and sex education is undoubtedly uncomfortable and uneasy, but it should be normalised and held from time to time.

"Parents must not also rely on their children’s schools and teachers to teach them about sex," Aleza said.

In fact, she said that it is important to avoid prejudice against unmarried mothers since they require care and assistance from family members and medical professionals.

Aleza observed that unmarried mothers frequently face criticism and censure for their "behaviour," such as being labelled as "wild" for engaging in premarital sex and conceiving out of wedlock.

"Stigmatisation will only hurt them and make them fearful to seek help. This, in turn, may cause them to take drastic actions in desperation, such as resorting to baby dumping.

"This perception is detrimental because our society is generally judgmental and punitive; hence, it makes the affected individual fearful, feel alone, and be scared to come forward.

"They would feel like they lack support, therefore, taking unwanted actions that could be dangerous to themselves and their babies, such as baby dumping or even infanticide," she added.

Baby dumping is a difficult and urgent issue that calls for prompt attention from both the country's leaders and society at large, so a complete strategy is needed rather than just using harsh penalties.

Aleza also noted that one of the solutions to baby dumping is the implementation of baby hatches.

However, while it does provide a quick solution to the issue, it does not address the root causes of the problem and does not provide a long-term solution.

Besides sex education since childhood, Aleza also said it is important for Malaysia to implement proactive measures to stop baby dumping through amendments to the law.

"For example, in Dec 2022, amendments were made to the Terengganu Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 2022, which criminalises out-of-wedlock pregnancies under Section 29A.

"This amendment is deplorable as it threatens the protection of women and girls from proper healthcare and their sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR)," she explained.

She also added that the other states that have criminalised pregnancy out of wedlock under the state’s shariah enactments and acts also include Sabah under Section 79(1), Negeri Sembilan under Section 75(1), Melaka under Section 54 and Perak under Section 50(1).

Meanwhile, Pahang under Section 31, Perlis under Section 15(1), Kelantan under Section 49, the Federal Territories under Section 23(3), Selangor under Section 25(3), Penang under Section 23(3), Johor under Section 23(3), Sarawak under Section 20(3), and Kedah under Section 21(3).

Should any unwanted situations happen, parents, teenagers, and any individuals could seek help from Talian Kasih 15999 and NGOs that advocate for Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), such as Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM) and Federation of Reproductive Health Associations Malaysia (FRHAM), through their helpline, she added.

"There are also shelter homes that they can reach out to, and they will provide care until you deliver the baby," she added.

Earlier, on May 3, a Tiktok video shared by @boboy9077 showed a baby left at the gate of the mosque with a note attached for anyone who found him.

The note read: "We apologise for not being able to raise Muhammad Arif due to economic reasons. We request that anyone who can and is willing to raise him. We will be very grateful." The baby was fully dressed with a blanket, wet wipes, and milk.

Meanwhile, it was reported on April 25, that a baby girl was found in a plastic bag in the back of a four-wheel-drive vehicle in Kampung Susulat Sook.

The healthy baby, still attached to her umbilical cord, was found at about 12.30 pm by the public before a police report was made.