THE GROWING SOCIAL PROBLEM OF BABY-DUMPING
By HIDAYAH AZIZ &
HUMAIRAH FISOL
R
ecently, there is a horrible
phenomenon happened to be a
new epidemic in Malaysia and
the government has started to look at it
seriously. Baby-dumping phenomenon
is a phenomenon that we Malaysian
should be embarrassed off. The
phenomenon or baby abandonment
refers to babies who are not born in
hospitals and are left in unsafe places
by their parents. Since 2005, 472 cases
of dumping baby and 258 babies were
found dead. Shockingly, in this year
alone between the month of June and
July, the police revealed that 65 babies
have been dumped. Another set of
statistics by the Women, Family and
Community Development Ministry
revealed that cases of abandoned babies
numbered 407 over the past five years.
What is happening to our
society nowadays? If this problem
continuously occurs, Malaysia will
become an ill society. We are proud of
living in a harmonious life even though
with the varieties of races and the
diversity of religions. But one thing we
as Malaysian should question ourselves
is; are we really live in a harmonious
life by taking into consideration all the
things that happened every day? The
answer must be negative by looking at
the social problem that happen lately
which is being involved by the
youngsters especially Malay
youngsters. We can see that baby-
dumping is happened rampantly
because almost every day it happened
to be the headline in the newspapers.
Recent attention to the problem of
abandoned babies, and subsequent
legislative remedies, are responses to
the often-publicized stories of babies
left in unsafe public places. This social
ill have opened many eyes and pricked
the national conscience. Many
reactions towards the matter as there
are many different views and solutions
to combat the issue. On the one hand,
some wanted to understand the
dilemma of these unwed teenagers
while on the other hand, there is people
who wanted the most drastic
punishment, even using the death
penalty.
This phenomenon which is
tarnishing our life must be preceded by
many factors that happen to be the
causes of the increasing rate of baby-
dumping cases. We can see every day
in the newspapers, public has expressed
their personal opinions regarding the
factors of baby-dumping phenomenon.
Some of them have blamed the over-
abundance and accessibility of
pornography today. Some of them have
even blamed the New Year and
Valentine's Day celebration because
both celebrations are asserted of
encouraging immoral activities like free
sex which is also one of the factors that
lead to baby-dumping cases. All the
factors claimed are seemed to be true
and acceptable as the major factors of
baby-dumping cases.
But, do we realize that we as
the society are also one of the factors
that contribute to the increasing rate of
baby-dumping cases? Or we just
pointing fingers blaming others for the
growing social problem baby-
dumping?
We have heard that the baby
dumpers could face the hangman's rope
because the case should be investigated
as a murder crime conforms to what the
Cabinet has discussed. The growing
social problem baby-dumping has led
confusion to the authority to decree the
punishment because various opinions
which have pro and con. Some said that
the baby-dumpers should be sentenced
to death because they did a murder by
killing the newborn baby. Some have
also claimed that the baby-dumpers
should be given a new chance to repent
from the mistake that they have done.
In our opinion, the confusion to
sentence the punishment seems to
happen because it involves the
youngsters and most of them are still
under-aged and teenagers around 20's.
Thus, we think that the hangman's rope
punishment is too heavy and other
solutions are needed. The special
school which has been implemented by
the Malacca's government is something
that we must pay attention more.
Although it seems to be ridiculous at
one side, it actually brings lots of
benefit.
There are voices that against
this kind of school as they think that the
baby-dumpers should not be given a
chance at all. They should pay the price
for their mistake and for those who
against the implementation of the
special school, the best punishment for
the baby-dumpers is sentence to death.
In dealing with cases like this, emotion
should not be carried together.
We can see that there are a lot
of shelters that built to give protection
for girls who get pregnant out of
wedlock such as Baitul Fiqh Shelter
Home and KEWAJA (Kem Wanita dan
Remaja). These shelters proved that
some still have their concerned to help
the victims of the social problem.
Thus, the implementation of the
special school must be seen as one of
the solutions of baby-dumping cases.
Society need to give full support to this
incentive.
Society actually need to know
that they actually have to play a big
role in every single thing happened in
the community. Social problems which
are involved by the youngsters
especially Malay such as baby-
dumping is something that society
needs to pay more attention in finding
out the causes of the thing to be
happened.
In solving this social problem,
the society must hold the responsibility
to find the solutions and not to point
fingers blaming others. The society
need to look into the mirror first before
judging the baby-dumping is absolute
the doer's fault.
The society need to give more
attention to the young generation in
educating them regarding the
consequences of engaging with sexual
relations at a young age. It can be done
through seminars, motivation camp or
advertisement in electronic media such
as television.
Parents and teachers also should
take part seriously in educating their
children and students regarding this
matter. The methods and aids used
must be reasonable in promising an
effective teaching and learning. Some
might say that family is the essential
matter that causes this problem. Weak
family ties could also be one of the
contributing factors in the rising cases
of baby-dumping. Parents should take
a good responsible in teaching their
children. Being as good examples,
parents should inculcate the teaching of
religion and moral to the children.
We believe that in every
religion life is sacred. As Muslim in
Islam, all human life is sacred. Only
God, the Creator of all, can create life
or ordain that it be taken away. There is
no single verse in the Holy Book
Qur’an or in the sayings of the final
Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless
and greet him), which allows abortion.
On the contrary, there are verses in the
Holy Book Al- Qur’an which are
clearly against the killing of any
foetus/baby or child, male or female, by
any means and at any stage of
pregnancy. “Do not kill or take human
life which God has declared to be
sacred.” (Al-Qur’ān: Chapter 6, verse
151) “Whoever kills a human being
(soul), unless it is for murder or
corruption on Earth, it is as though he
has killed all mankind, and whosoever
saves a life, it is as though he had saved
the life of all mankind.” (Al-Qur’ān:
Chapter 5, Verse 31). A parent, who
has instilled faith in their love ones
towards the religion, has put the guard
and shield to protect as religion is the
center of all and the way of life.  We
believe parents must not controlling
their children’s life but educating them
to the best of their abilities. Many
young people choose to have sex out of
love or curiosity and ignorance to it.
Because of that faith and religion must
be to exist with the education given by
the parents.
However, when teens have sex
and are ignorant of the consequences, it
is a deadly mix. Such reasons like “that
one time won’t get me pregnant” or “a
condom makes things feel different” is
common among teens and these
reasons should be looked into closely
by both the society especially the
government and the parents. Parents
should start taking the initiative to
teach their love ones about the
emotional aspects of a sexually active
lifestyle. Their roles as parents
encompasses more than just providing
a roof over their children’s heads, food
on the table and a degree in their
achiever’s belt. It means spending time
knowing their children and moulding
them to be God-fearing, law-abiding,
wise and street-smart people who will
go on to pass these values to their own
children. This can only be achieved by
spending more quality time with them.
That is why we strongly feel that
providing education and guidance to
the children while encouraging them to
share their thoughts are the way to go
in this issue.
Moreover, today, with the
increasing number of the baby dumping
every part of the society should take
part. Teenagers should be exposed to
the sex education directly or indirectly.
Youth today could easily have access to
such material online, even through their
hand phones and parents needed to
guide and educate their children on
sexuality. Malaysian Council for Child
Welfare honorary secretary Ismail
Majid was also quoted as saying that
sex education should not be treated as a
taboo but introduced to combat the
issue instead. It is not a coincidental
thought as others also share the same:
education helps. It is very crucial that
all part of the society must take part
and not only purely blame the
teenagers. We cannot merely just blame
them and put the fault towards them.
Furthermore, we believe that love and
faith can contribute to the remedies of
the problem. Why can’t we make them
not to do bad things for the love of God
and their parents?