The Orang Asli Department (JHEOA) did not have any knowledge of Orang Asli women being involved in the baby-for-sale racket uncovered by the police.

Its director-general Mohd Sani Mistam said this was the first time such a case involved Orang Asli women and babies.

"Before this we had never received reports of Orang Asli women being involved in baby-for-sale rackets," he told Bernama .

He said in light of what had happened, he would instruct his officers to go down to the ground to ensure such a thing did not recur.

Yesterday, Federal police CID chief Bakri Zinin announced that police had busted a syndicate involved in selling babies.

He said the syndicate "hired" women, including Orang Asli women, to be "baby factories" and the children born were sold to childless couples.

Fifteen people, including the mastermind, a 50-year-old woman from Banting, were detained in the Klang Valley in connection with the case following a tip-off on the syndicate's operations on Dec 4.

Police also rescued five babies, two girls and three boys between two weeks and nine months, who were about to be sold off.

Bakri said police were also looking for a doctor who is believed to be the leader of the syndicate.

Selangor CID chief Hasnan Hassan, when contacted by Bernama , said a special task force had been set up to track down the babies who were sold and remnants of the syndicate.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) in a statement urged the government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography to intensify national measures against all forms off child exploitation and abuse, including baby-selling.

- Bernama