00:00Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Lim Huiying has clarified her earlier remarks in the Dewan Rakyat on abortion
00:08after two rights groups called for an explanation.
00:12Lim said abortion is generally a criminal offence under Sections 312 to 316 of the Penal Code, subject to an
00:21exception.
00:21She said the exception in Section 312 allows a registered medical practitioner to terminate a pregnancy if continuing it would
00:31endanger a woman's life or cause harm to her physical or mental health.
00:36In a statement, Lim acknowledged that the confusion arose because she had not explicitly mentioned the exception when responding to
00:44Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad on Monday.
00:48The Deputy Minister said her reply had referred specifically to clinics found to be offering illegal abortion services.
00:57Lim said her clarification was not intended to dismiss the statutory legal exception concerning abortion.
01:04She said any misunderstanding may have stemmed from headlines or reports that failed to capture the full context of her
01:12remarks.
01:12On Tuesday, the Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia and the Women's Aid Organisation urged Lim to clarify her comments.
01:22They said the confusion could mislead the public and healthcare providers and discourage women from seeking medical care.
01:30Panyujo, FMT
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