Group to meet Jakim over fatwa on uterus transplant
Specifically, the women are among those born without a uterus and an underdeveloped vagina, a rare condition known as Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hause (MRKH) that impacts one in every 5,000 women.
Fresh hope has arisen for a group of women seeking to review a fatwa related to the permissibility of uterus donation and transplant among Muslim women.
Specifically, the women are among those born without a uterus and have an underdeveloped vagina, a rare condition known as Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hause (MRKH) that impacts one in every 5,000 women.
MRKH Malaysia president Nur Syazwani Abdul Rahim said the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) had responded to a letter sent by a group of obstetrics and gynaecology experts from Chancellor Tuanku Muhriz UKM Hospital (HCTM).
“Jakim has to go through the procedures with our request and so it took time, InsyaAllah our application is being considered,” the author and lecturer told Malaysiakini.
In her letter to Jakim, dated Dec 13 last year, Shazwani chronicled their journey - which formally started in 2014 - seeking a review on a fatwa that states a uterus transplant is “not necessary” (tidak harus) because it is not an emergency procedure.
“The search for a suitable and willing uterus donor will also take a long time, and the search cannot begin without certainty on whether the procedure will be permitted or otherwise,” she said.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Syazwani, better known by her stage name Wani Ardy, said she will officially be presenting their review request to Jakim, alongside the obstetrics and gynaecology experts.
“Earlier last year, after multiple researches and thorough discussions, HCTM applied for Jakim to review the fatwa on uterus donation and transplant,” she added.
Helping younger women with MRKH
Syazwani said MRKH had engaged with the local experts since 2017, and the medical team was trained by a Swedish expert on uterus transplant, Mats Brannstrom, who also met with her association last year.
"InsyaAllah, on Feb 14, the local experts and I on behalf of MRKH Malaysia, will present our application for review to Jakim in Putrajaya.
"I wish to humbly state that I am championing this issue not for myself. I am a 40-year-old with two children, although not from my own uterus because I don’t have one.
“I’m championing this issue for the future of my younger sisters with MRKH, and women who had to have their wombs removed, so that they have a choice and hope to be a mother,” she added.
Syazwani's post was also written in response to former religious affairs minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri’s statement - who expressed readiness to cooperate with experts towards reviewing the 2014 National Fatwa Council ruling.
“I am of the view that the ruling can be reviewed.
“Maktabah Al-Bakri has completed research on this matter which will be shared soon.
“However, it is incomplete without assistance from O&G experts. We are ready to work with any O&G experts to seek a comprehensive view on this issue,” he said.
In 2021, Syazwani's journey to raise public awareness led to her role as a script adviser for a local television drama that featured a leading character with MRKH.
“Rahimah Tanpa Rahim” (Rahimah without a womb) had sparked public conversations on MRKH, with some netizens questioning whether “Rahim” was a man's name or a literal reference to a woman's uterus which they claimed would be inappropriate.
