KUALA LUMPUR, Friday 13 August 2010 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) has supported a proposal for severe penalties for baby-dumping.
Its vice-chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said heavier penalties should be imposed on those who intended to kill or attempted to kill infants as it would serve as a lesson to the society.
"Measures need to be taken to address the problem, including instilling moral values in Life Skills subject in schools and creating awareness among parents," he said in a statement today.
He was commenting on Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's statement that the government had instructed the police to investigate baby dumping cases as attempted murder or murder, which is a capital offence in the country.
Lee said adolescents should be made aware of the implications of social ills on their future.
Social rehabilitation centres should be set up to assist and provide protection for pregnant teenagers, he added