According to Isma’s Dr Norsaleha Mohd Salleh, the high figures of illegitimate Muslim children born was due a lack of religious education and morals in youths. — AFP pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — The National Registration Department (NRD) recorded births of 159,725 children out of wedlock by Muslim mothers in the country since 2013.

According to the data breakdown, there were 53,492 births in 2013, 54,614 in 2014 and 51,169 last year, Malay daily Berita Harian reported today.

According to the report, the statistics recorded illegitimate status of children born to Muslim mothers only as there was no such status for non-Muslims.

Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) women’s wing chief Dr Norsaleha Mohd Salleh told Berita Harian the high figures of illegitimate Muslim children born was due a lack of religious education and morals in youths.

“The rise in cases of children born out of wedlock is worrying, specifically among Muslim teenagers. Being shallow in religion and the lack of moral values is what brings about this problem,” she was quoted saying.

She also called on the Education Ministry to increase the amount of time spent teaching Pengajian Islam and Pendidikan Moral in schools of all levels.

She added that she also supports the call by the National Parent Teachers Association (PIBGN) to create a balanced module in the male sexual and reproductive health education that is set to be implemented.

“Sexual relationship is between a man and a woman. There needs to be a clear balance by teaching teenagers of both genders so that they don’t get caught up in premarital sex,” she said.

The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has announced that sex education for male teenagers will be introduced next month, but it was unclear if girls will receive the same lessons.

The ministry’s secretary-general Dr Rose Lena Lazemi said that the National Population and Family Development Board’s Male Teenagers’ Reproductive and Sexual Education Module will cover premarital sex, “sex variations”, teen pregnancies, sexual abuse, and sexually transmitted illnesses.

The sex education module will reportedly start in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negri Sembilan, Penang and Sabah.

A survey on youths’ sexual and reproductive health by Durex and Perspective Strategies released last May found that the government’s abstinence-based sex education has failed to help raise awareness of safe sex among a majority of young people.