True Lies: Why Hiding the Facts Help in Malaysia
By Selvi Gopal
Originally published by the India Abroad News Service, April 2, 2001
KUALA LUMPUR — Abandoned babies don't make news in Malaysia anymore. Five years ago, incidents of dumping newborn babies in dustbins, places of worship and other public areas often made it to the front pages of the newspapers.
Today, these cases have taken a backseat. The act is so common that it has ceased to shock.
Cases of abandoned babies continue in this country, where the majority of the population is Muslim. Single mothers are scared to come out in the open to face the criticism that is sure to follow from religious quarters.
In addition to social ostracism, Muslims also fear being charged by the religious Syariah Court for having premarital sex.
To solve the problem, concerned citizens have raised the issue of protection for single mothers, away from the prying eyes of society, so that they do not feel compelled to throw their babies away.
The Welfare Services Department too has started work in the direction, by offering to educate and counsel the young mothers–to–be.
Today, the number of cases in which babies have been abandoned seems to be on the decline, as mothers have started giving their children for adoption.
Despite these positive signs, the authorities are not calling it quits. They realize that a lot of work still needs to be done to ensure that better care is provided for these unwanted children.
In accordance to this policy, the government recently amended Malaysia's Adoption Act to give greater rights to parents adopting a child. These measures include issuing adopted children with regular birth certificates that do not mention that they are adopted.
"This is a step ahead of the earlier situation when adopted children were issued birth certificates that indicated their adopted status," says Siti Zaharah Sulaiman, the Minister of National Unity and Social Development.
The amendment is being seen as a way of encouraging childless couples to adopt orphaned or abandoned children. Adoption is still seen by many as a last resort in Malaysia.
Termed the 'luckless' ones by society, childless couples usually spend thousands of dollars undergoing infertility treatment trying to conceive a child before they even consider adopting.
In most cases where the couple decides to adopt, they resort to illegal methods of buying a baby illegally, preferably a newborn. Some couples also alter the birth certificates to include their names as parents.
With the new regulation, the authorities hope that people will go through proper and legal channels to adopt a child. According to Siti Zaharah, the ministry is aware of the fact that many parents do not want to tell their children that they are adopted.
However, the minister's decision is drawing its share of criticism from people who believe that it is not for the government to decide whether parents should tell their adopted children the truth or not.
Chong Eng, A member of the opposition Democratic Action Party, thinks that a child should know from a young age whether he/she is adopted. According to Eng, hiding the facts is not a correct approach as children have a right to the truth.
"On the face of it, the new policy seems like a good idea. But hiding the truth about a child's birth has the potential to cause a lot of heartaches, both to the adoptive parents and their children."