Some Utar students link baby hatches with pre-marital sex

Ho Haw Pin, 23, an undergraduate from Universiti Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Utar) thinks that the existence of baby hatches will only lead more unwed couple to dump their babies.

“Pregnancy out of wedlock happens when a couple has limited knowledge about sex,” Ho tells Komunitikini, adding that everyone must be educated on the consequences of sex.

Cynthia Lim, a public relations undergraduate in Utar, agrees with Ho.

“They think that the government will provide a place for them to dump their babies so it will only encourage them,” says Lim.

Lim also points out that the people around pregnant mothers would influence them to turn the baby over to these hatches rather than take responsibility for its care.

Eddie, also from Utar, feels that pre-marital sex is the biggest problem, and that baby dumping is just a consequential problem.

“It’s hard to predict circumstances (of pre-marital sex) but it only happens to those who do not have the knowledge of pre-marital sex,” says Eddie.

He did not elaborate on “knowledge of pre-marital sex”.

The baby hatch is still a new concept in Malaysia although it has bee in use in developing countries  such as Germany and Japan.