Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail Online that the decision was made after taking into consideration a 1990 precedent set by the Islamic Juridical Council of the Muslim World League, based in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
This international non-governmental Islamic organisation had approved abortions in cases of thalassaemia, even after 16 weeks of pregnancy (120 days).
“We are inclined towards the decision by the Islamic Juridical Council regarding thalassaemia that can also be referred to for the Zika virus issue.”
Zulkifli said this was so “if studies from trusted medical experts show that foetuses infected with the Zika virus may have various disabilities that could affect the family’s life and that of the baby itself”.
“In such circumstances, consent from both parents, who have obtained a clear understanding about the issue, can be taken into account to abort the foetus,” he reportedly posted on the department’s official website today.
Despite the pronouncement by the Muslim ulama, abortion is illegal in Malaysia unless the mother’s life is in danger, said the news report.
The Zika virus has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly – a birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected for babies of the same sex and age.
The condition is also associated with other problems like development delay, seizures and intellectual disability.
So far, two Zika cases have been reported in Malaysia, involving one fatality. Singapore has reported more than 200 cases of Zika.
The disease is carried by the Aedes mosquito and is passed via bites. It is also passed through sexual relations by infected partners.