Saturday, November 26, 2016

IGP should immediately take action against baby-selling syndicates!


Media Statement by Yeo Bee Yin, State Assemblywoman for Damansara Utama on Saturday 26 November 2016.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) should immediately investigate and arrest baby-selling syndicates in Malaysia.

Al-Jazeera in its program 101 East has just released an extremely disturbing video on baby-selling in Malaysia [1]. It is shocking to see how babies can be traded so easily in Malaysia like commodities according to their gender and colors. In fact, the video has revealed a sad truth that Malaysia has now become a nation that some people can do the most awful thing to the most vulnerable group and go scot-free as long as they have money.

With this video unveiling the heinous baby-selling activities in Malaysia, from the agents who house the pregnant women in order to sell their babies after delivery, to the doctors who falsify birth documents, to the pimps who sell the sex-workers’ babies, we call upon the inspector general of police (IGP) to immediately investigate and arrest those who are involved in baby-selling syndicates.

Instead of detaining Maria Chin and constantly harassing human-right activists, the IGP should really spend more time and resources of the police forces to this real crime against human beings. Furthermore, instead of investigating countless of opposition leaders, activists or even ordinary citizens based of their Facebook status or tweets, the police should go after those who so daringly sell babies on Facebook as revealed by the video.

In addition, it is clear from the video that baby-selling will not be possible without some corrupted officers from the Royal Malaysia Police and National Registration Department. Those who were recorded by the hidden cameras have repeatedly mentioned giving bribes to government officers. Therefore, we call upon the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to immediately investigate the matter and bring the officers who are involved to justice. Putrajaya should also review all the procedures involved in child adoption to make it easier for genuine couples to adopt children so that they don’t turn to the baby-selling syndicates.

Some of the babies are lucky enough to be “bought” by genuine parents but some are bought by paedophile rings and begging syndicates to fuel their businesses. We would like to remind Putrajaya that Malaysia has ratified the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of Child. The children’s right to life and protection from exploitation have been clearly violated by baby-selling. Therefore, Putrajaya must honour the ratification and act against it. All in all, we must not turn a blind eye to the voiceless innocent babies, whose lives depends on our decisions as adults.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otvWPV_7cK0