VZCZCXRO7602
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #1024/01 3640028
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 300028Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3641
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 001024 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP KCRM KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG MY
SUBJECT: BABY TRAFFICKERS CHARGED UNDER MALAYSIA'S ANTI-TIP 
ACT 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: In recent weeks, Malaysian police have 
investigated what has been described as a "baby-factory" in 
Selangor.  The police arrested 22 people in connection with 
this large-scale, family-run, baby-trafficking syndicate and 
rescued 10 young children. The syndicate allegedly paid 
foreign women to have babies and put them up for sale. On 
December 16, a Malaysian woman and her two adult daughters 
were charged under the Anti-TIP Act for selling three baby 
girls. The illicit operation is believed to have been running 
for at least five years. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Between December 4 and 22, Malaysian police 
conducted numerous raids at various locations in Selangor 
state in an effort to shut down a "baby factory" operating in 
the Klang Valley. Police received a tip-off about the 
syndicate on December 4.  Twenty-two people were arrested, 
including two couples who were attempting to purchase babies. 
 The police rescued nine babies between the ages of two weeks 
and nine months old as well as a three-year-old toddler. 
Also rescued were two undocumented Indonesian women who were 
several months pregnant. The children were given medical 
exams and sent to the care of the Welfare Department. 
 
-------------- 
Modus Operandi 
-------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) At a press conference on December 14, Federal Police 
Criminal Investigation Department Director Bakri Zinin 
explained that the syndicate "hired" women from Indonesia, 
Vietnam, and the Philippines and paid local men, especially 
indigenous people (orang asli), to have sexual relations and 
produce babies.  When the babies were born, they were 
typically sold to childless couples.  The babies sold for 
between 15,000 RM ($4,300 USD) and 20,000 RM ($5,700 USD) 
depending on appearance and health.  The foreign workers 
hired to be mothers were typically promised 5,000 RM ($1425 
USD) per baby, however, after the baby was born, the 
syndicate would deliver only 2,000 RM ($570 USD) claiming 
that the child was "not beautiful enough" or otherwise was 
not up to the buyer's standard. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Police further reported that the syndicate also 
provided would-be buyers with documentation. The raids 
revealed birth registration documents that listed the 
purchasing couple as the child's biological parents. Bakri 
said that the police had not ruled out the possibility that 
National Registration Department employees were involved. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Police further stated that they are currently 
looking for a doctor who runs a clinic in Klang. The doctor 
allegedly delivered the babies and is believed to be the 
person who manipulated the birth certificates to show the 
adults purchasing the babies as the birth parents. The doctor 
went into hiding in early December when the raids were 
initiated. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
Suspects Charged under Malaysian Anti-Trafficking in Persons 
Act 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶6. (SBU) Of the 22 suspects arrested, three women ) Lim Kim 
Wan, 56, and her two daughters, Ang Bee Ling, 36, and Ang Bee 
Churn, 31, were charged on December 16, for selling three 
baby girls.  The babies were born to two Indonesian women and 
a Filipino woman. The syndicate has been described as a 
family-run business led by Lim. The illicit operation is 
believed to have been running for at least five years. Lim 
and her daughters were charged under Section 14 of the 
Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2007 for the offense of 
"trafficking in children." If convicted, they face up to 20 
years imprisonment. They pled not guilty and were released on 
15,000 RM ($4,300 USD) bail. The case will commence on 
January 22, 2010. 
 
------------------------- 
A Sign of Things to Come? 
------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) On December 23, PolOff met with Azrul Izham Bin 
Hamzah, Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, who 
specializes in TIP policy. In addition to discussing the 
GOM's new TIP public awareness campaign, Azrul addressed the 
issue of baby-trafficking. He expressed disdain for anyone 
who could participate in such activities but noted that this 
was another example of organized crime preying on the most 
vulnerable in society.  He reiterated his government's 
commitment to fight human trafficking, and its specific 
desire to shut down these types of operations. 
 
¶8. (SBU) On December 28, Aegile Fernandez of Tenaganita 
explained to Political Associate that she thought the 
 
KUALA LUMP 00001024  002 OF 002 
 
 
baby-factory problem was larger than initially imagined.  She 
has been working with Dr. Hartini Zainudin, who runs the 
Ruman Nur Salam Center for Homeless Children in Kuala 
Lumpur's Chow Kit area, on this issue. Fernandez explained 
that she and Zianudin are aware of a larger baby-trafficking 
syndicate and are collecting evidence and collaborating with 
police. She noted that Zianudin is encouraging police to find 
the true biological parents of the rescued children to 
determine the circumstances of their separation and whether 
being reunited is an option. 
 
¶9. (SBU) On December 28, Deputy Superintendent of Police 
Noorani Saad told Political Associate that the D-11 sexual 
rape/abuse unit was handling the investigation.  Noorani 
explained that an Indonesian woman contacted police and 
informed them that she was already pregnant when she came to 
Malaysia and entered into an agreement with the syndicate for 
a set amount of money. However, when the child was born, she 
was paid less money than she had been promised. Moreover, the 
child was given to a couple who were not Muslim. These 
factors, combined with a general change of heart, led the 
woman to report the incident to the police. 
KEITH