Introduction

Participatory GIS (PGIS)

They want to be named. They want to have an ambition. They want to have a life.
They want to know what love is and if they could, they want to kick all the eyes that only
know to see and judge. They are all the babies that being dumped, abandoned either live
or dead. If they could speak on their own, perhaps they will scream, crying and asking
their mothers and their fathers; why! While we are hearing here and there about baby
being dumped in the drain, toilet, on the street or in the hospital have we questioned
ourselves of what we have done to solve this issue or at least minimizing it? There are no
questions such as who needed to be blame, who should be responsible, what government
should do and others. At this stage, everyone in the country and all of the community
need to be involved to cooperate in eradicate this problem. And this is why PGIS
(Participatory GIS) is being introduced and need to be implemented.

PGIS that bring the concepts of collaboration, connection and cross section,
relation and sharing gives advantages to public and also the agencies of governments and
non- governments (NGOs) as it is a tool for bridging communication gaps between them.
It could help in decision support and conflict management. In PGIS, every single body
will contribute something that may help in certain issues and for this case, baby
abandoning. For example, neighbor who saw something weird and suspicious about their
other neighbor will inform to responsible parties in response of do not want the neighbor
to do something stupid such as dumping the baby in the drain and others. In this case, a
public could help in giving information. Others such as NGOs maybe have a bigger role
to manage this problem. They can be the informer, also the driver to do what are needed
to minimizing this problem.
Pusat Kebajikan Tiram (PKT)

That is when I met Dr Salina, the founder of Pusat Kebajikan Tiram (PKT) who
provides the shelter for the unwed mothers or any pregnant mothers and also the babies
itself. Making sure the unwed mothers keep their pregnancy healthy, give a safe birth
delivery, she is also willing to raise the baby in case the mother does not want the baby.
Dr Salina, a practiced doctor for 38 years have her own two children provides this shelter
to avoid any unwed mothers do the baby dumping as the cases are escalating nowadays.
Taking education and religion as the important basis to raise a child, also the motto of
‘Saving The Baby’, Dr Salina is really passionate to raise the babies so that they could
live normally, having a normal education like other kids and also grown up as a good
human being that can stand by their own feet. With the education and all, at least the
child would not be growing up to be useless person who can contribute to another social
ill.

Located at Ulu Tiram, Johor Bahru, PKT have received various ‘patients’ with
various problems. Some need a shelter and help as they know they are pregnant and
cannot go back home. But some are just straightly leave their baby at PKT as they cannot
advocate the baby due to ashamedness and others. Ulu Tiram, known as an industrial area
near with Kota Tinggi, Desa Cemerlang, Puteri Wangsa are familiar with their factories
and also the community that filled with immigrants as they work in the factories.

Everyone must be shocked if the reality of this issue has been exposed. Based on
Dr Salina, most of the abandoned baby case happened to unwed mothers and not only
teenagers. Widow and women in their 40’s also are in this group of persons. Not restrict
to any races, these unwed mothers are mostly Malays, Chinese, Indians and even
immigrant of Indonesia, Kampuchea, Myanmar, Bangladesh and others. In this case, it
can be concluded that not only Malays are the only one who abandon their babies as what
public perception, but also every races that contain in this country.
 Raising five kids of different unwed mother each at her home now, she said that
not only teenagers, poor people, or low education level people would do the
abandonment but also high education level people and matured and wise enough to think
what is good and bad. In this case, they are normally abandoned their child because of
shame. Usually this group of person is regretting what they have done and not going to
make the mistake twice. Actually, this out of wedlock pregnancy should not be
happening to us that are known for the manners and ethics. Especially for those who have
the guide of life, religion. I am sure that there are no religion in this world would agree
with the relationship before married, especially having a child out of wedlock.

Dr Salina has received various type and reasons of people come to her place.
Strictly not accepting the HIVs and drug addicts person, Dr Salina have to do that to
ensure the safety and health of other persons in the house including herself. With age
starting from 13 years old teenager to 44 years old widow that had come to her, this issue
have brought Dr Salina to a serious stage. She wants to raise awareness among public
about what is happening in the real world that not all of us are know. Hence, she writes a
script title Abang, Abang Oh Abang for a theatre based on her own experience. A 13
years old girl who get pregnant and have no one to turn to, at the end come to PKT as she
do not know what to do and get scared to going home.

Not to actually encourage the unwed pregnancy, Dr Salina is actually trying to

reduce the number of baby abandoning. No matter whom they are, but why do they have
to abandon their own child? Not all of these unwed mothers are cruel. They actually
wants the baby, but what happens are they are some constraints need to be face of. Their
first constraint is their own parents. Most of these unwed mother’s parents do not agree
what they have done, and cannot accept them as their own child anymore. Unwed
mothers or victims of rape especially, who abandon their babies are mostly young and
come under pressure arising from social stigma and legal implications, compounded by a
sense of hopelessness due to not knowing whom to turn to.
Baby Hatch

No matter who you are, you can place your baby in the hatch and your baby is
safe. Yes, they are safe in term of do not being bite by dog, eaten by other animals, being
on the street or whatever, but can this baby hatch solution will make sure the baby is safe
including their future with the adopt family? How could we know the baby will be safe?
They will be adapted to a family instead of being abandoned or dumped. Yes, of course
there will be an interview to make sure that the family that being chosen is good and will
serve the best for the baby that being adopted, but they could be pretending. In several
cases from Dr Salina experiences, even Welfare Department get reports that the adoption
family they are looking for is a gambler, alcoholics and others even tough a critical
research and interviews have been done to make sure they are a good family. That is also
why Dr Salina does not believe in adoption system. Some people are taking advantage on
this opportunity. They might use their own adopted child to do some business such as
prostitutions and syndicate of baby selling to get profits.

Another problem or question about this baby hatch is how could it bring to
awareness and not to be looked as encouragement of baby abandonment? How could case
of baby abandonment being minimize? In New Sunday Times dated December 5, 2010
said that 14 babies are in the OrphanCare baby hatch for six months time. This numbers
not only represent child out of wedlock but also child in poor family. People keep
coming, gives away their children. This will cause two main things. One; principle of
parenting, to do anything to raise their own child will be faded. Parents now get easier
way out even tough there are already helps being gives by Welfare Department, Zakat
Department and all. Second; what is Welfare Department function then? If everyone is
coming to the baby hatch, Welfare Department function to help anyone is also faded.

Hence instead of investing RM 15, 000 for a baby hatch, it is more relevant to
invest to a house such as PKT. At least in PKT, they are at once raise awareness among
the teenagers or the unwed mothers. Compare to baby hatch, the baby dumper will be
escaped easily and no regretting will be gained.
Teenagers, Family and Moral Support

From all data that have been collected, it could be say that not all of these unwed
mothers will abandoned their babies, but their family do not allowed them to have the
baby especially if the case is involving teenagers under age. Most of the family will be
very ashamed and will not accept their daughter as theirs. They afraid of what people or
relatives will talk about, worry about their daughter education and all. But some of the
parents are very rational. They do what they should do first, for example get their
daughter married, and get their daughter to hospital, counseling and others. Then accept
what have been happened as fate and try to fix whatever they have to.

But what is more sadden and sore is when a mother of a pregnant daughter do not
accepting their daughter anymore and ignoring her as they have made a huge mistake.
Yes, it is a huge mistake. It could bring darkness to their future life. But have the parents
do think that their daughter may get worse if they keep ignoring, rejecting and do not
even bear to look at them. A good parent will at last accepting what have their child does,
and take it as the thing that they are maybe lack in parenting. Maybe the pregnant
teenagers are lack in attention given by a family, love from what people call family bond
and others. After all, it is not only their daughter will be affected but also the baby itself.
Then what happen is baby dumping here and there. Hence, moral support from parents,
family and even all communities and departments are needed as these pregnant teenagers
will have no one to turn to if no one have support them.

But why this thing is still happening and the cases increased year by year? And is
there any other option of solution can be implemented to avoid this problem from being
continuous? What party should be participating in solving this issue? Here are some
parties and authorities that should be aware on this issue and serious action need to be
taken. School, police department, welfare department, registration department,
immigration department, hospital, religion department and even media mass. How all
these participants could help in minimizing this abandoning problem? The model and
work process flow will describe this idea later. With all these participants perhaps the
mother of abandoned baby will get scared and do not even intend to dump their baby
anywhere afterwards.