Utusan Malaysia 7.02.2007: "Hukum juga ‘si bapa’ -- Cadangan KPN bagi membendung perbuatan buang bayi"

Oleh Ruhaidini Abd. Kadir

KUALA LUMPUR 6 Feb. – ‘Bapa’ kepada bayi yang dibuang perlu dikenakan hukuman setimpal sama seperti wanita yang melakukan kesalahan itu sebagai usaha membendung perbuatan kejam tersebut.

Ketua Polis Negara (KPN), Tan Sri Musa Hassan ketika mencadangkan perkara itu menegaskan, untuk itu Kanun Keseksaan yang memperuntukkan hukuman penjara maksimum 20 tahun terhadap wanita yang didapati bersalah membuang bayi yang diguna pakai sekarang perlu dilihat dan dikaji semula.

“Ketika ini Kanun Keseksaan mempunyai peruntukan hukuman penjara maksimum 20 tahun terhadap wanita yang didapati membuang bayi.

“Namun, undang-undang ini tidak memperuntukkan hukuman terhadap lelaki yang bertanggungjawab menghamilkan wanita yang dituduh membuang bayi itu.

“(Undang-undang) Inilah yang perlu dilihat semula agar ia memberi keadilan kepada pihak yang teraniaya,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Beliau berkata demikian sebagai mengulas berita muka depan Utusan Malaysia bertajuk Angkara Siapa? yang turut menyiarkan gambar mayat seorang bayi dalam keadaan terdampar di atas rumput di Flat Lobak, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

Bayi berkenaan yang ditemui dengan kepala dan hidung masih berlumuran darah serta tali pusat yang masih terlekat dipercayai meninggal dunia dalam tempoh 24 jam di satu lokasi lain.

Ketua Polis Negara memberitahu, hubungan sebagai anak dan bapa dapat disahkan menerusi pelbagai kaedah termasuk ujian DNA untuk mengheret si bapa ke muka pengadilan.

Mengenai sikap wanita yang sanggup mengambil tindakan di luar dugaan seperti membunuh dan membuang bayi, Musa berkata, semua pihak sepatutnya memberi sokongan moral dan emosi kepada ibu terbabit sebagai usaha melindungi bayi yang dikandung itu.

“Kita tidak boleh menghina mereka dan membiarkan perkara seumpama ini terus berlaku.

“Sebaliknya, semua pihak perlu menangani masalah ini agar punca perlakuan tidak berperi kemanusiaan yang didorong oleh perasaan buntu si ibu dapat ditangani,” katanya.

Tegas Musa, setiap individu termasuk ibu bapa perlu peka dan memainkan peranan mereka khususnya dalam memastikan anak-anak tidak terjebak dengan masalah sosial.

“Gejala buang bayi ini adalah isu nasional yang perlu ditangani oleh semua pihak dan perkara paling pokok ialah didikan ibu bapa terhadap anak-anak,” katanya.

Sementara itu, dalam perkembangan berkaitan, siasatan polis menunjukkan kebanyakan kes membuang bayi membabitkan wanita muda dan remaja yang mengalami trauma akibat ditinggalkan pasangan sebaik disahkan mengandung.

Wanita terbabit berasa tertekan kerana terpaksa melahirkan anak tanpa bantuan dan pada masa sama berdepan dengan tindakan undang-undang sedangkan pasangan mereka bebas begitu saja.

Below is an extract taken from chapter 9 of The Malay Ideals (2002):

Now, punishment as a form of deterrent is crucial in preventing immoral behaviour. The fear of a severe punishment would have a positive impact on the youngsters' attitude. Although, it is not solving the problem at its root cause, the mere use of punishment will act to reduce deviant behaviour. It is a form of prevention. Punishment should be applied to those caught in divergent and immoral activities. Punishment should however not be implemented on its own. It should be accompanied with education. Not only should youths be punished for misdemeanour, the wisdom that parents and guardians be cautioned and monitored should also be considered * if they are found to be partly responsible for their children's or the minors' acts. This is in line with the view that parents are to post bond to guarantee that their unruly children will be on good behaviour. One should not cease there but proceed further in punishing those in positions of responsibility, where minors have been placed under their care, who through wilful neglect have directly or indirectly, contributed towards the cause of misbehaviour of those under their care. Put in another way, they are liable for the misdemeanour of those placed under their scrutiny - parents included.

As mentioned previously, unwanted newborn babies are frequently left for either dead or alive. These acts are usually committed by their unwed mothers straight after delivery. It seems that the individuals involved do not value the life of another human being whatsoever. They commit such acts because they know they could get away with it and even if they were caught, the sentence would not be severe enough. It is not that adoption homes are not present, but shame has prevented them from approaching these homes. Therefore, to prevent these acts, the punishment for disposing off the newborn should be amended to make it very severe to act as a deterrent. If an infant was found dead, by law the perpetrators should not be charged with manslaughter, but murder, because the mere act of leaving these babies at the hands of nature and chance, fail to take into account that the child has no ability to survive on its own. A person leaving a child for dead should be tried for attempted murder. The male partners should be identified through DNA analysis and should be given similar sentence for indirect involvement * even though they have no part in the abandonment or killing of the infant. Their unwillingness to assume responsibility have forced the women to act irrationally. The punishment will thus impose responsibility upon both male and female individuals so that they will have to think twice before committing immoral acts. If the abandonment and killing of newborn babes incur severe retributions, then couples would have to make proper considerations before contemplation on illicit sexual relationships. The punishment should be lightened or waived on the females only in the case whereby the sexual impropriety committed is a forced or a non-consented one.