Woman in Malaysia gets 2 years’ jail for throwing newborn from 38th-floor condo
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A man living on the ninth floor discovered the baby with severe head injuries on his verandah.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
A 24-year-old woman in Malaysia who threw her newborn from a 38th-floor condominium unit in 2025 was sentenced on April 29 to two years’ jail.
Lua Mei Zhu had given birth at home before throwing the infant out of her bathroom window on Feb 26, 2025.
A man living on the ninth floor called the police that night after discovering the baby with severe head injuries on his verandah.
Malaysian media outlet New Straits Times (NST) reported that Judge Aslam Zainuddin on April 29 convicted Lua of causing the death of her baby girl, with the two-year jail term beginning from the date of her arrest on Feb 27, 2025.
Lua had pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder in August 2025 and submitted a representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
She was later offered an alternative charge stating that she had wilfully caused the death of her newborn while in a disturbed mental state due to the effects of childbirth. She pleaded guilty to this charge.
In mitigation, her lawyer, Mr Loke Kok Mun, said the incident stemmed from her immaturity in handling the situation, reported state news agency Bernama.
Mr Loke said that while Lua knew she was pregnant out of wedlock in the final trimester, she did not seek medical care due to fear of social stigma.
“She was under emotional distress and was even afraid to inform her family, fearing shame as the baby’s father was of a different race and religion,” Mr Loke was quoted as saying by Bernama.
He added that Lua had suffered from prolonged depression and had received psychiatric treatment for three months at a hospital in Perak.
NST reported that Lua broke down in tears in the dock after court proceedings on April 29 and was comforted by her older sister and Mr Loke.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Shahrizzat Amadan had sought a heavy penalty due to the gravity of the offence.
“A life has been lost. An innocent baby, who never had the chance to live, was thrown from a height,” he said.
He added that other family members were present in the house when the incident occured, and that Lua had other options but “tragically chose this course”.
“I seek justice for the baby,” he said.
