A TOTAL of 2,752 teenage pregnancies involving girls under 18 were recorded across Malaysia in 2024, marking a slight increase from 2,737 cases in the previous year.
Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, told Parliament today that Sarawak recorded the highest number of cases in both years, followed by Sabah and Pahang.
She said that preliminary figures from January to March 2025 alone revealed 655 cases of teen pregnancies nationwide.
“One of the main causes of teenage pregnancy in Malaysia is the lack of access to comprehensive reproductive health education, leaving many adolescents unaware of how to protect themselves against unplanned pregnancies,” she said during a ministerial question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.
These findings, she added, were supported by the 2019 National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) study on risk and protective factors among adolescents related to reproductive and social health.
Citing the Malaysian Journal of Psychology (2020), Noraini said other contributing factors included peer pressure and exposure to sexually explicit media content, which can influence adolescent behaviour and normalise risky sexual experimentation.
“From a socioeconomic perspective, poverty, school dropouts, and lack of job opportunities also increase teenagers’ vulnerability to these risks,” she said.
Noraini further noted that family background and lifestyle can play a significant role in shaping high-risk sexual behaviours.
To address the issue, the Ministry is calling for cross-agency collaboration to expand holistic initiatives aimed at improving adolescent wellbeing and reducing incidences of teen pregnancy.
Police Arrest Three in Hulu Langat Baby Abandonment Case Linked to Incest
In a related development, police in Kajang have arrested three individuals, including a man who falsely claimed to have discovered a newborn baby in a box near a petrol station in Batu 14, Hulu Langat, on 11 August.
Kajang District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Mohd Naazron Abd Yusof, said the infant was the result of an incestuous relationship between a 39-year-old man and his 16-year-old daughter.
“The complainant, a 29-year-old security guard, conspired with the man to stage the baby’s discovery in order to conceal the birth,” he said in a statement.
The teenage girl, who had recently left school, is believed to have delivered the baby shortly before it was found. The infant is currently receiving medical care and remains under hospital observation.
Acting on intelligence, police arrested two men and a woman aged between 16 and 39.
“Both male suspects have been remanded for one and six days respectively, while the female suspect has been released on police bail and is undergoing medical treatment,” said Mohd Naazron.
The case is being investigated under Section 317 of the Penal Code for baby abandonment and Section 376(3) for incest. Convictions under Section 317 can lead to up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both. Section 376(3) provides for a prison term of eight to 30 years and a minimum of ten strokes of the cane.
The police are urging anyone with relevant information to contact Investigating Officer Inspector Mohd Hizwan Hamzah at 019-6369835 or report to the nearest police station. - August 13, 2025
