CARING CAMPAIGN SHOULD BECOME ANNUAL ACTIVITY IN IPT - MALAYSIAN PM'S WIFE

KUANTAN (Malaysia), Jan 25 (Bernama) -- Caring and awareness campaigns to
curb such social ills as baby dumping should be part of the annual activities of
academic institutions, to help the government address such problems, Rosmah
Mansor said Monday.

The prime minister's wife said the abandoning of babies was no longer
rare with statistics showing more than 400 cases reported since 2005.

"Selangor recorded the highest number of baby dumping with more than 105
cases, followed by Johor with 85. Perlis reported only one case as at the date
that the statistics were released," she said when opening the "We Care -
What Have I Done Wrong" campaign at Universiti Malaysia Pahang here.

Also present were Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat
Jalil, Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah and UMP
Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Daing Nasir Ibrahim.

Rosmah said baby dumping raised the question of why some people were willing
to abandon their babies to cover their wrongdoing.

She said the main factors contributing to the social problem included
illicit relationships and drug-taking leading to loose behaviour.

"I propose that a comprehensive study be done by the relevant parties
to find the real factors that cause those people, especially teenagers, to be
involved in this social problem and to find the solutions to it,"
she said.

Rosmah said parents should be cautious in raising their children and must
not leave the responsibility solely to maids.

"There should also be emphasis on spiritual and religious aspects in raising
children if we are to build a healthy family structure," she said.