Over 400 children born ‘out of wedlock’

Khai Zem Mat Sani

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

FOUR hundred and five children in Brunei were registered as born out of wedlock from 2013 to 2015, based on records under the Syariah Affairs Department Tutong Branch.

Statistics from the department showed an increase of 40 to 50 cases annually or one case weekly during the same period.

In most cases, the child’s status was revealed to the authority when they applied for passport and identification card (IC), said Norlee Rohaini Md Daud, head of the religious enforcement unit in Tutong.

“There are some who came to us directly and some based on reports from members of the public,” she said. The religious enforcement unit will then conduct investigation to confirm the status of the child.

Brunei-Muara has the highest number of children borne out of wedlock with 217 cases, followed by Belait with 141, Tutong with 23 and Temburong with 24 cases.

Norlee Rohaini said children born out of wedlock happen mainly because of unmonitored socialising between the opposite sex.

She said parents play a crucial role in such cases as lack of supervision or monitoring of their children, letting them go out with anyone freely will result to such difficulty. “Socialisation like this is difficult to be tamed or prevented. Sometimes these children didn’t even go home to their parents until they get pregnant,” she said.

According to the department records, the number of khalwat (close proximity) cases remained high with 197 reported in 2013, 188 cases in 2014 and 168 cases in 2015.

Norlee Rohaini said the popular use of internet and social media like Facebook, WhatApp and Instagram also contributed to the problem as the interaction on these sites are unchecked by parents.

“Sometimes within a short time, they proceed from being strangers to illicit behaviour which can lead to pregnancy,” she said, adding that majority of them only get married after the child is born.

She said pregnancy out of marriage does not only happen among young and single individuals, but also to those who are married.

“There are cases where the wife would be carrying the child of another man other than her husband, and also cases where the husband got another woman pregnant. This happened when they are involved in extramarital affairs,” she said.

Sumber - The Brunei Times