Of Baby Blues And Black Markets

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A file pix of authorities going through documents from a fake birth certificates case earlier this year.
Desperation drives trafficking rings and forged papers, say experts
PETALING JAYA: The desire for a baby and the uncertainties of adopting an abandoned one are reasons why baby trafficking syndicates continue to prey on childless couples, say experts.
Development of Human Resources for Rural Areas Malaysia’s social protection director Maalini Ramalo said a lack of awareness and understanding of the legal adoption process is a significant factor in such cases.
“Often, adoptive parents may want a child to resemble them or adopt an infant at birth to hide the fact that the child is not biologically theirs.
“This creates a market for syndicates offering falsified birth certificates to allow the adoptive parents to pass the child off as their own biological offspring,” she said when contacted yesterday.

She added that another reason was the difficulty in securing citizenship for an adopted child who is not a Malaysian citizen, particularly where the child was abandoned or lacks traceable origins.
She said there have been cases where such adopted children were unable to secure citizenship upon reaching 21 despite their adoptive parents following application procedures.
“These frustrations and uncertainties have made families vulnerable to syndicates that exploit the situation by offering illegal solutions that appear to provide some legal certainty,” she added.
Maalini characterised such crimes as a form of human trafficking that infringes upon the fundamental rights of identity, protection and family tracing for the adopted child.
She added that such illegal activities also pose a risk to national security, as they may create opportunities for broader exploitation and trafficking networks.
She suggested that the National Registration Department strengthen internal checks while collaborating with enforcement agencies to ensure accountability.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had, on April 16, dismantled a syndicate involved in submitting fake birth registration forms by offering bribes of between RM5,000 and RM50,000 to facilitate the illegal purchase of babies and preparation of falsified birth certificates.
Initial investigations uncovered transactions totalling RM400,000.
The syndicate is believed to have been operating since 2021, with the MACC attempting to identify the mastermind behind the operation.
On April 23, 15 individuals, comprising 12 men and three women aged between 50 and 70, were fined between RM800 and RM1,800 for submitting false information when applying for birth certificates and MyKad for their adopted children between 2004 and 2022.
Child activist and consultant paediatrician Datuk Dr Amar Singh HSS suggested a relook at the current adoption process, which is lengthy and complex.
He said the difficult process may have caused some to try other means to avoid the red tape involved.
“Streamlining and improving our adoption system may help to curb some fake birth registration activities but will not eradicate it,” he said when contacted.
Syndicates that fake birth registration not only facilitate illegal adoption but also enable child trafficking and exploitation, he added.
“This is a horrible form of economic exploitation of children, and it often also exploits desperate individuals or families,” he said.
Dr Amar said that if left unchecked, such illegal activities could undermine the civil service if they involved corrupt practices.
Voice of the Children’s vice-president, Datuk Hartini Zainudin, said the recent conviction of 15 individuals linked to adoptions involving false information serves as a wake-up call for authorities to pursue the syndicates engaged in this form of child trafficking.
“This is not just forgery; it’s potential trafficking.
“The protection of our children must take over punishment,” she said when contacted.
Rather than recognising such cases as minor offences related to documentation fraud, she said authorities should pursue the syndicates responsible for these illegal transactions.
“This should have been handled as a criminal offence under the human trafficking law.
“There should be investigations into syndicates, hospitals, midwives, brokers and buyers,” she said.
Informal adoptions such as these usually involve a middleman or money changing hands, she said.
Hartini said authorities should not adopt a punitive stance towards children who have been informally adopted by denying them their rights and citizenship. - Star

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