Woman pleads guilty to concealing birth of foetus, fined RM4,000

KUCHING (March 3): A 23-year-old woman was fined RM4,000 in default six months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty at the Magistrates’ Court here on Tuesday to concealing the birth of a foetus.

The woman charge under Section 318 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

She committed the act by burying the foetus in a bush in Taman Malihah here on Jan 28, 2026.

Based on the facts of the case, the accused sought treatment at the Sarawak General Hospital Pregnancy Assessment Centre for abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding.

Upon examination, the doctor found placental tissue indicating she had recently given birth, and she was referred to an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist.

She later admitted that she had delivered a male foetus—her first pregnancy—in the bathroom of her home the previous afternoon.

The accused stated that the foetus had died after birth, and she subsequently decided to bury it.

The doctor estimated that the foetus was approximately 20 weeks old.

Based on the information obtained, the doctor lodged a police report for further investigation.

Investigations revealed that the accused had engaged in sexual intercourse with her boyfriend and became aware of the pregnancy after a urine test returned positive.

At about 5pm on the day of the incident, while she was about to bathe, she sneezed several times and the foetus suddenly emerged from her genital area.

In a state of panic, she immediately buried the deceased foetus and did not inform anyone of the incident.

Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani prosecuted the case before Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan, while the accused was represented by lawyers Milton Foo and Joanne Loy.