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At least six women have written to a newspaper saying they want to care for or adopt an abandoned baby boy who was found alive inside a bin in Singapore.The child was discovered crying last week in a blood-stained plastic bag by refuse workers as they emptied the bin at the bottom of a rubbish chute on a housing estate.The youngster could have been crushed if the cleaners had not found him, said a politician.Police said the child, whose birth parents have not been named, had no visible injuries but was taken to hospital.Authorities say he is in a stable condition.Now six women have written to The New Paper offering to take care of him.In comments published by the publication, Shahirah Slamat, 34, said: "I am willing to do anything for the baby."I feel so jealous when I see people pregnant.
My sister has five childrenwe want a child so much."The wealthy island nation has the second-fastest ageing population in the world after South Korea.And it is struggling with low birth rates, with the latest data showing the number of births fell to an eight-year low in 2018.Many people in Singapore have lamented the rare case of baby abandonment.
There were 17 between 2009 and 2019Facebook user Leong Lim said in a post: "Oh why people abandon their babies?"We are in need of a population growth so don't abandon the babies and I'm more than happy to adopt one if the conditions are right."The Ministry of Social and Family Development said several people had enquired about adopting the baby.The child's birth parents have been heavily criticised on social media but others said more understanding was needed over the stigma surrounding single mothers.Facebook user Abirame Subramanian said: "We should step up efforts to support them and reduce stigma rather than judge these women and young girls who may be not far from being children themselves."
