“I believe there is no regulation or law governing this area,” he said, in response to the question of whether doctors breached work ethics when they extracted ova for fertilisation.
Chew was commenting on a Nanyang Siang Pau news report on Feb 27 that said young women were selling their eggs to fund lavish lifestyles or their studies.
The Chinese daily reported that women earned between RM3,000 and RM8,000 selling their ova (eggs).
Chew said Malaysia needed to have a governing body similar to Australia’s Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority, or Varta.
“The body can look into complex issues such as the anonymity of donors and use of ova,” he said.
According to its website, Varta is funded by the Victoria government to provide independent information on fertility and issues related to assisted reproductive treatments. It also manages the donor register and offers support to people who are donor-conceived, parents who have used a donor, donors, and their families.
The United Kingdom also regulates fertilisation treatments through the Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority.
Meanwhile, Chew said women should not sell their eggs for money.
“Donations for an altruistic reason are to be applauded. But selling ova is fraught with many implications,” he said.
Last year, FMT reported an embryologist as saying the demand for sperm donors had increased because of public awareness of infertility.