Newborn found alive in sanitary bin at Penang airport; 2 arrested

A newborn  boy was found alive in a sanitary bin at Penang International Airport on Monday (August 31).

A 23-year-old Malaysian woman and a 22-year-old Myanmar man were arrested shortly after to assist with investigations, the New Straits Times (NST) reported on Wednesday.

The baby was found by a janitor who heard him crying, Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported.

The baby was likely abandoned shortly after birth, as he was discovered with the placenta and umbilical cord still attached, NST reported.

Soon after, a video showing the baby in the bin went viral on social media. The video has apparently been taken down.

The baby was eventually taken to hospital.

Southwest district police chief Assistant Commissioner Anuwal Ab Wahab said in a statement that after reviewing the CCTV footage, the woman was arrested at a shopping mall near Penang airport, NST reported.

Further investigations led to the arrest of the Myanmar national, who works as a security guard, and had also failed to present valid travel documents.

The two are being investigated for abandoning a child under 12 by a parent or caregiver, according to The Star.

NST reported in July that Malaysia recorded 18 baby abandonment cases in the first three months of 2026.

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