Voluntary Abortion Is Still Illegal In Malaysia, End Of Story
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A Malaysian took to Twitter to cite that abortions are not illegal in the country. However, netizens were quick to point out that abortions are, in fact, illegal in Malaysia.
All kinds of voluntary abortions are illegal in the country. There is only one possible condition that allow for abortions to be conducted legally under an added exception clause to Sections 312 of the Penal Code:
When a medical practitioner registered under the Medical Act 1971 who terminates the pregnancy of a woman if such medical practitioner is of the opinion, formed in good faith, that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, or injury to the mental or physical health of the pregnant woman, greater than if the pregnancy were terminated.
Basically, the abortion must be determined by a doctor to cause harm to the mother. Whether or not the woman wants to keep the child is not considered at all.
Women who may want to proceed with the legal abortion process will need to sit through pre-abortion assessments, such as counselling, blood tests, and other health examinations.
Because of the strong stigma surrounding abortion in Malaysia, abortion is technically still prohibited even if the pregnancy was a product of rape, in cases of fetal impairment, or for other socio-economic reasons.
Malaysia’s poor sex education, stigma towards safe sex discussions, cold treatment of women with unwanted pregnancies, and lack of support for children with no father have caused many mothers, often young women who are unable to care for a child, to dump the babies after birth.
Abortion is merely part of the conversation surrounding safe sexual activities and the serious consequences of childbirth with little to no support for the child.
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