THE Malaysian Medical Association takes note with trepidation and concern the recent amendments to the Terengganu shariah laws that criminalise pregnancy and childbirth out of wedlock for Muslim women.
Out-of-wedlock pregnancies and childbirths often arise from unplanned pregnancies among young adults or adolescents due to lack of education and access to reproductive health services.
The dire consequences of unplanned pregnancies range from septic abortions, baby dumping, preterm labour, and maternal and neonatal morbidity, including deaths, among others.
Where childbirth and pregnancy are concerned, global data and research has shown repeatedly that punitive actions and restrictive laws only serve 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.
According to national data, Malaysia recorded one of the highest 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 has never decreased and sexual activity among our youths with very little knowledge of reproductive health is rising rapidly.
Repeatedly, across the world, the implementation of comprehensive sexual education with access to reproductive health services has been shown to not only decrease unplanned pregnancies – and thus out-of-wedlock pregnancies – but also leads to reduction in incidents of sexual activity in the young as well as sexually transmitted diseases.
We urge and appeal to all authorities and lawmakers concerned to implement what has been scientifically shown to be effective and to approach this life changing issue for women, girls, families, communities, and the nation with compassion and to place health as the utmost priority. – The Vibes, December 6, 2022
Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai is president of the Malaysian Medical Association, a professional body representing the largest number of medical practitioners in the country
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