A BBC Report on 22 July 2002 titled “Police target Malaysia baby-snatchers” quashes what the Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar claims that Malaysia is not a hub for baby-selling as even after 14 years, syndicates have found a profitable industry in the buying and selling of babies on our very own soil.
From exposés over the past few years, of Malaysia’s unwanted refugees, to Sabah’s invisible children, to the plight of the indigenous Orang Asli, to a vicious human trafficking ring, last week, Al Jazeera 101 East ripped open a stinking can of worms on is happening in our own backyard, right under our own noses of the cancerous baby-selling syndicates reigning in Malaysia for years and years, undetected and given due protection by doctors, welfare homes, National Registration Department staffs as well the police.
Of course, the IGP, Ministry of Women, Community and Development and Ministry of Health are all up in arms to follow the money trail to nail the perpetrators and also have given their full commitment to speed up the adoption process, to nab doctors, nurses and healthcare facilities in between, to investigate all unscrupulous parties involved and bring them to face charges.
“It cannot be denied that baby selling occurs in Malaysia, but it is not as easy as shown in the video, because the Royal Malaysia Police constantly monitors for such activities. This effort was enhanced in 2008 with the formation of the Anti-Trafficking of Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants D7C ATIPSOM unit as well as the Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division (D11) of the Police Criminal Investigations Department to investigate sexual crimes,” said the IGP. He also rejected claims that the police did not vigorously pursue baby-sellers, and highlighted 6 arrests from 2010 including doctors and nurses and also rescued 4 babies in separate operations in 2014 and 2015 among those freed from people smugglers.
While credit must be given to good cops and doctors who have not allowed their principles and moral values to be compromised by accepting bribes or allow themselves to be sucked into a corrupt cycle, there have been immoral, despicable dirty cops and doctors who have allowed this to happen without batting an eye and this is evident with only 6 arrests in 6 years when the numbers we are dealing with are far bigger now, in addition to a thriving industry which once raised alarm bells in 2002.
Going back to the BBC report in 2002, clearly showed that there has been an alarming number of babies being sold in the black and that Malaysian and Indonesian police are discussing ways to tackle the trade. Back then it was reported that gangs ran this syndicate and one was even found to have kept 30 pregnant women at a single apartment in Kuching, Sarawak. And this was in 2002, 14 years ago.
With rampant abuses of position, power and privilege, doctors and healthcare providers, as well as the police and NRD staffs the industry has proven to be able to operate invisibly and unknown to the authorities.
Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim Minister for Women, Family and Community Development has stated that this incident should be a wake up call to everyone and urged the police to conduct investigations and Datuk Dr S Subramaniam Minister of Health has kicked off investigations and have committed to deregistering doctors, revoke licence of centres involved in baby-selling rings. Only the IGP seems to be in denial.
I had raised the matter of the rising number of babies out of wedlock according to JAKIM statistics and the matter of adoption in Parliament on 30 October 2014. In an article in The Star on 28 September 2014, more baby hatches will be set up all over the country through a joint venture between OrphanCARE Foundation and KPJ Healthcare Sdn Bhd and monitored by the Women’s Ministry. As of 2014, 3700 applications are on a waiting list to adopt babies and it is estimated there are over 400,000 orphan children in orphanages all over the country waiting to be adopted. Despite all the efforts, how did we end up where are now?
Parliamentary questions raised by Members of Parliament is more than often resonating the grouses on the ground. Despite many warnings and sirens and alarms, the Malaysian government have failed to act swiftly on the disturbing growth of this vile trade.
What the IGP should have said is that they will come down hard, without fear or favour on the perpetrators no matter how powerful their connections are. And that he is not afraid to name and shame. Instead he takes a very defensive stance which will be extremely detrimental of investigations and prosecutions.
Inspector General of Police must come down from his throne and explain to the public professionally on the rise of babies being sold in the black market after 14 years inspite of reports in the BBC News back in July 2002 instead of impulsively denying the truth that Malaysia is sadly a hub for this trade.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2143732.stm
Parliamentary Hansard : DR-30102014.PDF