KUCHING: A 24-year-old woman has been fined RM4,000, in default six months’ imprisonment, by the Magistrates’ Court here today for intentionally concealing the birth of her baby in January.
The accused pleaded guilty to the charge read before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan.
She was charged under Section 318 of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine, or both upon conviction.
According to the charge, she committed the offence at a bush area in Taman Malihah on Jan 28 at about 5pm, where she intentionally concealed the birth of her baby boy and buried the infant in the bushes.
The court heard that on Jan 29 at about 11 am, she went to the hospital seeking treatment after complaining of abdominal pain and bleeding.
Upon examination at the hospital’s Emergency Ward, the attending doctor discovered a placenta in her genital area, indicating that she had recently given birth.
She was immediately referred to an obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) specialist. After being questioned, she admitted that she had delivered the baby at about 5 pm the previous day in the bathroom of her house and claimed that the baby had died.
She then decided to bury the infant in a bush area opposite her house.
The doctor estimated that the baby was approximately 20 weeks old. The accused stated that it was her first pregnancy and claimed that she was unaware she was pregnant and had not informed her family members about the incident. She was subsequently admitted to the maternity ward for further treatment.
Based on the information received, a police report was lodged for further investigation.
Police arrested the accused on Jan 30 at about 2 pm. Investigations revealed that she had a boyfriend and that they had engaged in sexual intercourse prior to the incident.
At the end of Dec 2025, the accused realised that her menstrual cycle was two months late. In early 2026, she took a urine pregnancy test, which returned positive.
She informed her boyfriend of the pregnancy and they had planned to get married in Feb. Her boyfriend had also agreed to take responsibility for the baby.
During the incident, while she was about to bathe, she suddenly sneezed several times and at the same time something came out from her private parts. She panicked upon realising that the baby had been expelled.
She immediately left the bathroom, took a food container and placed the baby inside it. At the time, no one else was aware of the incident as her sister-in-law was asleep.
She then placed the food container into a plastic bag, left the house and drove to a bush area outside the fence of her residence.
Upon arriving at the bushes, she stopped her vehicle and walked into the area for several minutes. She then stopped at a spot and dug a hole in the ground using her hands.
After digging the hole, she placed the baby inside and covered it with soil. She then left the area and disposed of the food container in a nearby rubbish bin.
She did not inform anyone about the incident, including her siblings and her boyfriend.
On Jan 29 at about 10 am, she went to the hospital accompanied by her boyfriend and siblings after experiencing abdominal pain. After examination, the doctor informed her that there was a retained placenta in her uterus.
She was subsequently admitted to the ward for further treatment.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Fauzulufti Suriani, while the accused was represented by counsels Milton Foo and Joanne Loy.
