IN conjunction with International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on Feb 6, a non-governmental organisation has called for the banning of female circumcision in Malaysia.
Also known euphemistically as female circumcision female genital mutilation (FGM) is routinely carried out on hundreds of newborn infants and young girls up to two years old.
While in the past it was village midwives and traditional birth attendants who conduct the procedure, today, medical professionals are the ones wielding the scalpel, knife or scissors, said the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy.
“It is an unfortunate reality that female genital cutting is regularly practiced in Malaysia,” said its chief executive officer Azrul Mohd Khalib.
“Whether it is scrapping the clitoris, penetrating the clitoral hood with a hypodermic needle, or cutting off a small bit of the hood, any procedure which is carried out on the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, whether minor or major, is consistent with female genital cutting. Female circumcision is female genital cutting.”
Azrul went on to point out that the procedure has neither medical benefit nor religious basis.
“The World Health Organisation has identified four classifications for female genital cutting or mutilation (FGM/C),” he noted.
“Fortunately, Malaysia does not have infibulation, where the vaginal opening is narrowed, causing tremendous trauma seen in many African and South Asian countries.
“However, based on the known descriptions of the practice locally, Malaysia does have Type 1 (clitoridectomy), 2 (excision) and 4 (other procedures, including pricking of the genitalia).”
Azrul further remarked that it is alarming that Malaysia continues to defend this particular practice.
The country’s representative to a 2018 meeting to discuss the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) explained that the removal of the folds of skin surrounding the female’s private parts does not pose harm as “it is not detrimental to their sexual health”, and should not be categorised as FGM.
Using religious and cultural arguments to justify FGM
According to Azrul, it is alarming that some medical professionals, rather than depending on evidence-based medicine, use religious and cultural arguments to justify the continued existence and need for female circumcision.
“Why? Because there are no medical arguments to justify the need for this procedure,” he commented.
“In 2009, Malaysia’s National Fatwa Council ruled that female circumcision was obligatory (wajib) for girls.
“However, this is contrary to the developments in the Islamic world where several Muslim majority countries such as Egypt and Indonesia have banned and declared female circumcision (in whatever form) as un-Islamic. It is not stated in the Quran.
“The distinguished Al Azhar University even declared FGM/C as forbidden (haram).”
Azrul noted that unfortunately, the prevalence of female circumcision is high in Malaysia – a 2012 Universiti Malaya (UM) study found that more than 90% of Malay Muslim female respondents were circumcised, and that they were also doing the same to their daughters.
While a Health Ministry circular prohibits female genital cutting/female circumcision in government hospitals, no such regulation governs private healthcare facilities.
“This is where parents are getting the procedures done on their baby girls. This procedure is widely advertised openly and online and it is time for the Government to close this loophole,” said Azrul.
“If there is no medical benefit, no religious basis or any benefit whatsoever to performing female circumcision, then why do it?”
“Rather than medicalising the practice, we should instead be prohibiting and criminalising the act of female circumcision to protect our infant daughters and girls. No ifs, buts or caveats.” – Feb 7, 2022
