Statements & Responses

Joint Statement by RRAAM and WAO

Abortion Is Not Illegal in Malaysia : Correct the Parliamentary Record

7 July 2026

Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM) and Women’s Aid
Organisation (WAO) strongly object to the statement made by the Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, YB Puan Lim Hui Ying, during Oral Questions to Ministers on 6 July 2026, suggesting that abortion is illegal in Malaysia and that clinics providing abortion services are illegal. This statement is factually and legally incorrect.

Malaysia’s Penal Code does not impose a blanket prohibition on abortion. Section 312 of the Penal Code states clearly that a registered medical practitioner may legally perform an abortion in good faith where continuing the pregnancy poses a greater risk to the life of the pregnant person or injury to their physical or mental health than terminating the pregnancy. It is therefore inaccurate and harmful to state that abortion is prohibited in Malaysia, or that registered medical practitioners and healthcare facilities providing termination of pregnancy within the law are illegal. The Ministry of Health Guidelines for Termination of Pregnancy aligns with these
principles.

RRAAM Urges Government to Halt Ministry of Health Budget Cuts That Threaten Access and Essential Care

30 April 2026

Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM) strongly objects to the proposed RM3.06 billion reduction to the Ministry of Health’s budget, which threatens to reverse significant gains and deepen existing inequalities in access to healthcare in Malaysia. Malaysia’s public healthcare system already navigates structural and operational challenges, including a rising demand for services, ageing facilities and an overstretched workforce. A funding cut as proposed pushes an already strained system closer to a breaking point.

We believe reductions in the Ministry of Health’s budget will have tangible and immediate consequences. Essential services ranging from primary care and maternal health to chronic disease management and preventative programmes will face major disruptions, delays or scaling back.

Medications may become less accessible or inconsistently available in public facilities, referrals to multidisciplinary care (including pain specialists or mental health support) may be limited, and overstretched healthcare professionals may have less time for patient-centred consultations. Government healthcare workers, who are already managing heavy workloads, will be further overburdened. Ultimately, compromising the quality and care of services delivered to individuals across Malaysia.