Over 200 couples celebrate birth of Merdeka babies

KUALA LUMPUR: Over 200 couples have a cause for a double celebration as they welcomed the birth of their new bundle of joy on National Day today.
In the federal capital, 18 Merdeka babies, 10 of whom are boys, were born at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital as at press time.
In SELANGOR, there were 40 births - 21 boys and 19 girls - with 18 in Sungai Buloh Hospital followed by Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, Klang (13) and Selayang Hospital (9).
In PUTRAJAYA, nine babies were born at the Putrajaya Hospital - three boys and six girls.
In MALACCA, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron said 12 babies were born at the Malacca Hospital with 10 of them being boys.
Idris said the first baby born belonged to an Indonesian couple, Tifani Petros, 32, and Sirilusnahak Felix, 25.
The baby boy, weighing 2.7kg, was born at 2.18am, while the state's 12th Merdeka baby, also a boy, was born at 10.33am.
"I hope these Merdeka babies will grow up to be healthy and become a useful asset to the country one day," he told reporters after visiting the babies at the hospital.
In NEGRI SEMBILAN, six baby boys and five baby girls were born at the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital Seremban (HTJS), with the first birth recorded at 12.23am.
HTJS director Dr Ariffin Mohamad said of the total, three of them were born through normal delivery, while eight others were born through a C-section delivery.
In PAHANG, 19 babies were born as at 10am, including a pair of fraternal twins.
Pahang Health director Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan recorded the highest number of birth with eight babies, followed by Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh (seven), Kuala Lipis Hospital (two) and one each in Pekan Hospital and Rompin Hospital.
Norazlina Abu Talib, 33, who waited nine years for the birth of her first child, said she and her husband, Ishak Shapie, 53, were indeed overwhelmed with the early arrival of their son as she was initially scheduled to give birth on Sept 10.
"I had always wanted to give birth on Merdeka Day and I guess my baby had the same idea too," she said at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital.
Norazlina's baby, weighing a solid 3kg, was born at 12.12am.
Meanwhile, Nurul Athirah Zulkifli, 26, who gave birth to the fraternal twins at the same hospital, said the girl was born first at 2.14am before being followed by her twin brother at 2.21am.
"My due date is on Sept 20, but the twins decided to come out today and become Merdeka babies. I never expected this but I'm glad nonetheless," she said.
In PERLIS, nine babies were born at Tuanku Fauziah Hospital, comprising two girls and seven boys, with the first was born at 12.57am.
Eight of them were born through normal delivery, while the other one, weighing 4.66kg, was born through a C-section.
In PENANG, two Merdeka babies were born at the Penang Hospital today.
Speaking to reporters, Nursofina Johan Shahain, 31, said she was grateful to have given birth safely to her second child, especially on the day the nation celebrated the National Day.
"What more meaningful is that my baby would always celebrate her birthday with the whole nation," she said.
In JOHOR, a baby girl weighing 3.1 kg was born at KPJ Pakar Puteri Hospital at 10.37am.
The baby, named Nur Adriana Nafisah, is the first child of Nuramira Mohamad, 23, and Mohamad Anwaruddin Abdul Rahaman, 26.
Nuramira said she was indeed happy and had never thought that her daughter would be born on the day the nation celebrated its National Day.
In KELANTAN, 10 Merdeka babies were born at Raja Perempuan Zainab Hospital as at 7am today.
They comprised seven girls and three boys.
In PERAK, nine couples welcomed the birth of their babies at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital, Ipoh, with the first baby born at 12.25am and the ninth, at 10.23am.
Ipoh Pantai Hospital, on the other hand, recorded the birth of five Merdeka babies, with the first at 12.14am. – Bernama