Friday July 3, 2009
The Star

An average of eight babies born out of wedlock every day

JOHOR BARU: An average of eight babies are born out of wedlock every day in the state, says Johor Women, Family, Community Development and Health committee chairman Dr Robiah Kosai.

She said statistics from the National Registration Department have shown that 15,610 babies had been born out of wedlock since 2005.

Most of these babies were Chinese, who topped the list at 6,522, followed by 5,393 Malays and 3,695 Indians, she said in reply to Datuk Md Othman Yusof (BN – Kukup) here yesterday.

“At least 20% of these births involved mothers below 21 years of age,” she said, adding that there had been an average of 3,000 such cases each year since 2005.

Dr Robiah said the state was taking measures to check the social ill, including counselling teenagers against pre-marital sex.

She said talks, seminars and workshops on healthcare and sexuality were other measures.

The agency was also thinking of introducing its programmes to national service trainees.

Dr Robiah also said parents must obtain birth certificates for their children who otherwise could not be enrolled in schools.

“The children will also have problems in getting their MyKads,” she said, adding that National Registration Department counters had been set up in rural areas to register the birth of children.

“A RM50 fine will be imposed on late registration but it is for the benefit of the child,” she said, adding that since 2006, 4,302 children had had their births registered late in Johor.