Following an expose by international broadcaster Al-Jazeera in its Nov 25 ‘101 East’ segment of the existence of a babies for sale syndicate in the country, the police were urged to take action.

The Women, Family, and Community Development Ministry urged the police to take speedy action and arrest all those involved in the cruel and immoral illicit dealings.

“As the ministry responsible for the protection and welfare of children, we view the matter of babies for sale seriously as it contradicts Article 35 of the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC), and the optional protocol on the trafficking in children, prostitution and use of lewd materials against children,” said the ministry in a statement.

The ministry added that as a country that ratified the CRC and it optional protocols, Malaysia has a commitment to take all actions it can to prevent child trafficking and prostitution.

Other than urging enforcement against the said activities, the ministry also wants existing procedures and laws on adoption to be simplified so that childless couples will not turn to the dark side if doing things above board are too difficult.

Joining the ministry in its urging is DAP Damansara Utama assemblyperson Yeo Bee Yin, though she also pointed out that the syndicate must involve the collusion of public servants in the police and National Registration Department.

In addition to going after the child traffickers, Yeo said that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission should also target the corrupt government officials that enabled the syndicates to operate freely.

“All in all, we must not turn a blind eye to the voiceless innocent babies, whose lives depends on our decisions as adults,” she said in a statement.

In a related development, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said annnounced the tabling of a joint Prime Minister’s Department and Women, Family and Community Development Cabinet paper on holistic a approach to tackling sexual crimes against children.

It includes considerations for a standalone Child Sexual Crime Act, expanding the application of the existing penal laws such as rape, incest, abuse of position of trust and sexual assault and creating third party obligation to report to the relevant authority.

The proposed Act will introduce new offences against the child namely child grooming and child pornography and considerations on the evidence of the child and establishment of a special court to deal with child sexual offenders.

The paper will be forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for drafting of the final Act which will be presented in the cabinet for approval before tabling it to the Parliament in the next sitting, said Azalina in a statement.