NGOs slam Nasrudin over jibe
(The Star) PETALING JAYA: Several women and youth groups have denounced PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan’s remark that celebrations like New Year and Valentine’s Day are among the main causes behind baby dumping.
Instead, the groups said babies being born out of wedlock were caused by various factors, including poor parental control.
All Women’s Action Society senior programme officer Abby Desvries described the statement as “ridiculous”, adding that it showed a lack of understanding behind the root causes of baby dumping.
She added that the education system must be reviewed to provide a comprehensive and holistic sex education.
National Council of Women’s Organisation deputy president Datuk Ramani Gurusamy said it was illogical for PAS to issue such statements unless it had statistics to prove them.
“If young people want to misbehave, they will not wait for a festival celebration.
“People have their own ethical values and practices, so they will not behave totally different on festival celebration,” she said.
Nasrudin was reported as saying on Wednesday that occasions like the New Year were celebrated in an extreme manner and has encouraged free sex, which resulted in the rise of baby dumping incidents.
The Council Churches of Malaysia (CCM) youth moderator Christine Chin described Nasrudin’s remark as an “absurd” way of addressing a serious social ill.
“The problem needs to be examined with an open mind between politicians and inter-faith religious groups before such a statement is issued,” she said.
Malaysian Hindu Youth Council president K. Rasa Selvan said the youths’ engagement in pre-marital sex did not take place during a “particular season”.
He urged for parents to spend more time caring for their children.
Separately, MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said Nasrudin’s suggestion was naive and meant “just to simplify the issue of baby dumping”.
“We are not animals. Furthermore, every citizen is entitled to his or her freedom to celebrate whatever occasion,” said Dr Wee.
In George Town, Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang called Nasrudin to back his claim with evidence-based research.
The allegation by PAS Youth, he said, clearly showed the party’s ignorance of various cultures in Malaysia.
