The adoption labyrinth and the despair of parents
For Malaysian families who wish to adopt abandoned children, the process is responsible for obstacles.
The adoption laws differ for Muslim and non -Muslim children, although the classification of the religion of a foundation is often arbitrary. Even after sailing in the adoption process, parents face a difficult battle to guarantee birth certificates and citizenship for their children.
Frustrated by bureaucratic inertia and discriminatory practices, some turn to intermediaries and illegal canals to obtain the documentation. In many cases, adoptive parents have recourse to the recording of the child as well as their biological offspring, erasing the real origins of the child.
It is not only a failure of the police – it is a failure of the State to provide a human functional system for adoption and citizenship.
The deadly consequences of abandonment criminalization
The penalty of the abandonment of children by Malaysia exacerbates the crisis. Fear of prosecution leads to mothers – often single and vulnerable – to abandon newborns in dangerous conditions. In Malaysia, his name is “Baby Dumping”. Surprisingly, 60% of abandoned infants are found dead.
Instead of supporting these women or providing safe alternatives, the law pushes them to despair, perpetuating a tragedy cycle.
Malaysia does not need to look for solutions far. Morocco, an Islamic nation which faced a similar orphan crisis, first implemented radical reforms of its family code (Mudawana) in 2004 and further improved the code to promote women's rights in 2024. The key among the initial reforms was the decree of the abandonment of children and the establishment of clear legal roads for the adoption under Kafala.
