Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy
The chief executive officer Azrul Mohd Khalib said the pregnancy was already at 27 weeks, and the child was delivered prematurely and died five days later, making the case different from an early medical abortion.
“However, imprisonment does not explain why this young woman apparently had no access to timely reproductive healthcare, legal advice, counselling or social support. It is especially concerning that she was reportedly unrepresented when she pleaded guilty,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
According to Azrul, this case reflects a failure of prevention, protection and compassion. “We know little about whether she faced coercion, exploitation, sexual violence, financial hardship, abandonment or fear related to her immigration status. Yet the system responded primarily with arrest, prosecution and imprisonment,” he said. He pointed out that Malaysia does not impose an absolute prohibition on abortion.
The Penal Code permits a registered medical practitioner to terminate a pregnancy when continuing it poses a greater risk to a woman’s life, physical health or mental health, he said. “However, stigma, misinformation and inconsistent access continue to push women and girls towards unsafe and desperate choices. This 21-year-old was one of those women. “The threat of prosecution and criminalisation may also discourage women from seeking emergency treatment following an abortion or pregnancy complication. Healthcare facilities must remain safe places where patients can seek urgent treatment without fear of arrest,” he said.
Azrul said women and girls facing unintended pregnancies need healthcare, accurate information and support, and should not face the threat of a prison sentence. Access to contraception, emergency contraception, family-planning services, confidential counselling and lawful reproductive healthcare must be available regardless of marital status, age, nationality or immigration status, he added.
Given this, he called on the government to review the use of custodial sentences against women who attempt to terminate their own pregnancies. “Most importantly, the Ministry of Health must ensure that public family planning services do not discriminate against unmarried women and adolescents in policy and actual practice. Imprisoning this young woman will not undo the tragedy or prevent another unsafe abortion. Malaysia needs a response based on prevention, early access to healthcare, family planning, legal reform and compassion,” he added.
SOURCE: The Borneo Post, 18 July 2026. https://www.theborneopost.com/2026/07/18/galen-centre-urges-review-of-jail-sentence-for-indonesian-woman-over-self-managed-abortion-case/
Borneo Post Online is the online news portal of The Borneo Post – the largest English daily in Borneo. We strive to cover news and happenings throughout the island of Borneo and make it available to our readers around Malaysia and those overseas.