Two women detained after foetus found outside baby hatch

A CRIMINAL investigation has been launched into the secret concealment of a birth after the body of an infant was discovered abandoned outside a dedicated baby hatch facility along Jalan Bukit Gasing in Petaling Jaya.

Police detained two women in their twenties who are believed to be directly linked to the incident, which has shocked the suburban community and renewed calls for greater awareness surrounding maternal reproductive healthcare and emergency support services.

The emergency response was initiated on Friday morning when authorities received an alert at approximately 8.10am regarding the presence of the infant body outside the sanctuary premises.

Forensic specialists were deployed to the scene, and the body was subsequently transferred to a mortuary for a comprehensive pathological examination to establish the exact timeline and cause of death.

Medical examiners tasked with the post-mortem analysis determined that the infant had not been born alive through normal delivery, but had instead perished as a result of a miscarriage.

Furthermore, the clinical evaluation confirmed that the baby had already been deceased for a duration exceeding 24 hours prior to being left at the facility, shifting the focus of the police inquiry toward the unlawful handling of human remains rather than active infanticide.

Petaling Jaya district police chief Assistant Commissioner Shamsudin Mamat confirmed the subsequent arrests, noting that neither of the suspects has any prior criminal record. He stated that police have also seized several items to assist in the investigation.

The judicial system has granted varying remand windows to facilitate deeper interrogation, with the first suspect held for two days and the second suspect remanded for three days to allow investigators to piece together the events leading up to the abandonment.

Legal proceedings are currently being pursued under Section 318 of the Penal Code, a statute that criminalises the concealment of birth by secret disposal of a dead body, carrying a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Law enforcement officials are urging anyone with auxiliary information regarding the circumstances of the miscarriage or the identities of those involved to contact the Petaling Jaya District Police Headquarters operations room at 03-7966 2222 or report to the nearest station. - June 13, 2026