Adoption, Not An Easy Option in Malaysia?

Slug: Malaysia adoption Reporter: Sumisha Naudu Date: July 2013 INTRO igures suggest there are more than !00"000 #hildren to adopt in Malaysia$ The religious and legal systems" ho%e&er" #an ma'e the pro#ess long and di((i#ult lea&ing many parents disappointed ) and some resorting to *+a+y +uying,$ -nd #hildren #an end up staying in adoption homes (or years$ Sumisha Naidu ta'es a loo' at the issue (rom ./$ T01T S 1 1 +a+y sound Meet 2a'ti -r3una itri$$$the adopted toddler o( ynn Jamal$ ynn is a %oman %ho4s made a name (or hersel( 5 espe#ially on so#ial media 5 (or her %riting" singing$$$ and no%" (or +eing a mom$ ynn #lip 1 6 emale" 0nglish7: 8I thin' there is nothing else I %ant in this %orld anymore$$$I am so happy$$$oh my 9od$$$: Juna" as he,s (ondly 'no%n" #ame into ynn4s li(e a(ter she posted a a#e+oo' status e;pressing her desire to adopt a +a+y$$$ a(ter years o( (ailed attempts and +eing on %aiting lists$ - (an got in tou#h and o((ered ynn her o%n 5 and %ithin %ee's o( Juna +eing +orn" the adoption papers %ere signed$ ynn #lip 2 6 emale" 0nglish7: 8It %as so easy" I4m so happy to say it %as easy to handle paper%or' in Malaysia$$$ <ou 3ust ha&e to +e transparent and that,s it$: -s easy as the dire#t adoption pro#ess may ha&e +een (or ynn$$$=NI>0 estimates there are still more than !00"000 orphans in Malaysia$ -nd go&ernment (igures suggest there are 2000 orphanages and pri&ate shelters$ 2ut %ho are these 'ids" ho% did they get there and ho% many parents are ta'ing them home to +e adopted? S 1 2 sound #hildren dan#ing 9oh Siu /in is a la%yer %ho spe#ialises in (amily la%$

She says the mothers she4s #ome a#ross %ho4&e gi&en up their #hildren o(ten %eren,t in a position to loo' a(ter them$ 9oh Siu /in #lip 1 6 emale" 0nglish7: 8=sually these young girls $$depending on their +a#'ground" they e;periment$$$$ they4re not a%are o( #ontra#eption$ -nd then %hen this happens" +e#ause o( the stigma" they4re (or#ed to gi&e the +a+y up$ O( #ourse i( they had the support o( so#iety" their (amilies" they %ouldn4t gi&e up their +a+ies$@ 0lya /im -+dullah is the #o5(ounder o( the N9O Orphan >are that %or's as a liaison +et%een orphanages and shelters and parents %ho desperately %ant them$ 0lya #lip 1 6 emale" 0nglish7: 8There are more than 3000 #ouples on the %aiting list" +ut only more than A00 inter&ie%s #ompleted so (ar$: 2ut i( so many parents %ant #hildren" %hy are there still so many #hildren still in homes? One reason" 0lya says may +e +e#ause o( the red tape$ 0lya #lip 2 6 emale" 0nglish7: 82e(ore %e started Orphan >are" %e 'ne% a #ouple %ould ha&e to %ait a minimum o( 2 years +e(ore they4d +e a+le to adopt a #hild (rom the ministry$$$ -nd people aren4t %illing to %ait that long$: -nd the (iltering o( %ho #an +e adopted and %ho #an4t #an +e a long pro#ess" says 9oh Siu /in$ 9oh Siu /in #lip 2 6 emale" 0nglish7: 8I( the #hild4s parents are a&aila+le" #onsent must +e re#ei&ed$ 2ut i( the parent is una&aila+le 5 mentally in#apa+le et# 5 you #an apply to #ourt to dispense %ith the #onsent$: Shelters and orphanages su#h as /ighthouse >hildren Bel(are -sso#iation don,t release #hildren (or adoption as they still ha&e parents or a parent in the pi#ture$ Ja#inta Ste&en is the dire#tor o( /ighthouse >hildren Bel(are Come -sso#iation$ Ja#inta #lip 1 6 emale" 0nglish7: 8They all #ome (rom underpri&ileged homes" dys(un#tional homes" some o( them ha&e +een physi#ally and se;ually a+used$: 2ut though these #hildren #an4t +e adopted" Ja#inta says that hasn4t stopped people (rom as'ing$ Ja#inta #lip 2 6 emale" 0nglish7: 8They #ome here and they as'" do you ha&e a #hild (or adoption %ho is around 10 or 12? -nd I as'" %hat (or? They say +e#ause they4re getting old and need someone to #lean$$$ I say that4s not a reason to adopt$ It has happened more than on#e$: 2oth Siu /in and 0lya (eel that speeding up the pro#ess o( adoption in the #ountry #ould help #ur+ this pro+lem$

0lya #lip 3 6 emale7: 8Be must loo' into the adoption la%s" to ma'e it easier (or the adoptions to ta'e pla#e$ -nd %e need more pu+li#ity" %e (eel only on#e the go&ernment says" loo'" %e ha&e 'ids in these homes5 then only people %ill adopt$: >hild ad&o#ates also say the la% doesn,t ta'e into a##ount the adoption o( a+andoned +a+ies" or tra((i#'ed #hildren$ Di#tims li'e them ha&e no legal do#uments and are there(ore #onsidered stateless$ - stateless #hild may end up +eing denied (ree and eEual a##ess to identity" edu#ation and health amongst other +asi# needs$ S 1 3 +a+y sound Not 'no%ing the identity o( her +a+y,s parents %as not an issue (or ynn$ She 'no%s enough a+out Juna,s +iologi#al (ather and mother to get do#uments (or her #hild$ 2ut more than pro&iding her #hild %ith an idenitity" ynn %ants Juna,s parents to +e a part o( his li(e too$ ynn #lip 3 6 emale7: @I %ant him to (eel" it,s o' to ha&e t%o moms and t%o dads$: Despite the initial #hallenges" ynn says as soon as her son is ready (or a +rother or sister" she %on4t hesitate to adopt again$ or -sia >alling" this (eature is produ#ed +y Sumisha Naidu (rom .uala /umpur$