Newborn Baby Found Alive Inside Trash Can at Malaysian Airport

A newborn baby boy has been found alive after being abandoned inside a sanitary trash can at an airport in Malaysia.

The baby was discovered at Penang International Airport on August 31 after a cleaner heard him crying and alerted police.

Footage from the scene shows the newborn lying inside a bin lined with a blue plastic bag.

His umbilical cord was still attached to the placenta when airport workers carefully lifted him out of the bin.

“Cleaning staff heard cries coming from a sanitary bin in a toilet designated for people with disabilities and called police,” Southwest District police chief Anuwal Ab Wahab said.

The baby was taken to Penang Hospital for medical treatment.

Officials said he was healthy and in a “generally good condition”.

Police later checked CCTV footage from the airport as part of their investigation.

A 23-year-old woman and a 22-year-old Burmese man who works as a security guard were later arrested.

“The man was detained to assist with investigations into the case, and he was also found to have failed to produce valid travel documents,” the police chief said.

“The case was being investigated under Section 317 of the Penal Code, which relates to the abandonment of a child under 12 by a parent or person having care of the child.”

Under the law, anyone convicted of abandoning a child under the age of 12 could face up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the two suspects are the baby’s parents.

Forensic tests are being carried out to determine whether they are related to the newborn.

Police investigations are ongoing.