When cases of abandoned infants emerged in March this year, the Inspector-General of Police, Musa Hassan said, ‘The Malays, especially, are fond of looking down on those who get pregnant out of wedlock. This should not be the case as a mistake has already been done. Instead of condemning, they should help them.’ (Source: The New Strait Times ).

Say what you want about the IGP but his comment then was spot on. I must hastily add though, this tendency of looking down on those who get pregnant out of wedlock is not unique to Malay Muslim community. Judging from the responses to the recent cases of abandoned infants, I can safely say Malaysians generally do share similar position on this issue.

As with other 'cruel' and inhumane' acts (note the death penalty suggested for child rapists), most of us respond by suggesting stiffer punishment to arrest the ever rising cases of abandoned infants. Question is, why is punishment the only solution in our society?

For some reason, we believe in the illusion that stiffer penalty alone will deter would-be criminals. In our society, mistakes must be punished, preferably severely, without ever finding out why a crime is committed in the first place. It seems like we collectively decide to airbrush the reality and challenges of modern life and put in place an alternative version where people live a perfect life, make good decisions and share identical moral standards.

Trouble is, Malaysia is not utopia. People make mistakes. So, what are the solutions?

Well, for a start, people need to understand that condemning does not help. Then the relevant government agencies should work with NGOs and the community to come up with a comprehensive plan to curb the rise of abandoned babies.The education side must also be looked into.

Do our students have sufficient knowledge about sex, STDs, pregnancies and related issues? How about sex education, then? Do we, as a community, have enough facilities that offer counseling and help to unwed mothers? It reflects badly on our society that a pregnant girl thinks throwing the baby into the river is the best option to handle a completely manageable situation. The baby may be illegitimate in the eyes of many, but one life lost is one too many.

I also feel that the Islamic Religious Council or whatever relevant agencies should be involved more in terms of counseling. Mosques could be used as a place for this purpose. It is a widely known fact that the cases are highest among Malay/Muslims community.

I have a feeling this has something to do with lack of counseling facilities for Malay/Muslims unlike Non-Muslims who can go to churches and other religious establishments that deal with this issue.

I know this is a hot and controversial proposition to the Islamic religious authorities but I believe we need to look at the big picture. No one is disputing the fact that pre-marital intercourse is haram . However the reality is that many of these unwed mothers and their male partners come from broken families and have little education, religious or otherwise.

Even for those who could not give these excuses, people must understand the challenges that teenagers or young adults face in current living environment to live a ‘pure’ life. One misstep and their future is bleak. When this happens, what they need is help, not punishment and condemnation. Otherwise, we will end up with more blood on our hands.