Minors As Young As 9 Giving Birth, NGO Raises Alarm

NGO Chief reveals that cases of sexual exploitation of minors are increasing in Malaysia, citing a 9YO who gave birth in Penang just three years ago.

(Credit: Freepik)

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A nine-year-old girl is the youngest on record to give birth in Malaysia as a result of being raped in the country, says the head of an NGO, Yayasan Ikhlas chairman, Zainur Rashid Zainuddin.

Speaking to Sinar Harian, Zainur said that the case happened three years ago in Penang and the girl became pregnant after she was raped by her own brother who had been influenced by pornographic videos he watched online.

Zainur explained that the number of cases involving teenage pregnancies has been on the rise in recent years.

He was speaking at the launch of the Sexuality and Reproductive Health Education Module (ReproAlert) in Putrajaya, which is an Islamic-based sexuality and reproductive health education module aimed at addressing sexual issues among children and adolescents today.

In the past, cases of childbirth out of wedlock involved teenagers aged 17 to 18, but now it’s happening among girls from the ages of nine to 13.

In Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu, there have been cases involving girls aged 11 to 13.

This is very concerning because the rate of teenagers involved in cases of illegitimate childbirth has increased by 11 percent.
Zainur Rashid Zainuddin, Yayasan Ikhlas Chairman

He added that a study showed that one out of 10 teenagers in Malaysia has had some sexual relations, with most cases involving boys aged 13 to 16 after being exposed to social media content related to sexual relationships and online porn.

Besides that, other factors of child and teen pregnancies include love, willingness and family conflicts.

There’s a case I handled, a first-year student who excelled academically but got involved with a 14-year-old cousin.

The incident came to light after the teenager was taken to the hospital for stomach pain, but it turned out she was in labor.
Zainur Rashid Zainuddin, Yayasan Ikhlas Chairman

He explained that the teenager in question came from a financially challenged family where the mother sold pastries, and the father worked two shifts.

“They have no time for their child, and that’s one of the reasons this incident occurred,” he said.

He also called on parents to play a role by prioritizing communication with their children or just by spending time with their children by doing engaging activities like sports, hiking, or travelling.

Yayasan Ikhlas is a non-governmental organization established in 2009 that aims to alleviate the hardships faced by orphans, disabled, faqir, and those affected by disasters besides giving scholarships or incentives to individuals or groups either for their studies or research in Malaysia.

Check out their website to know more about their campaigns and activities.

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