Adoption

Adoption in Malaysia can be done under the Adoption Act 1952, which is a court adoption, or through the National Registration Department (NRD).

For a court adoption, four preconditions apply:

• The applicant must have attained the age of 25 years and be at least 21 years older than the child to be adopted.
• The applicant and the child must both be residents of Malaysia.
• The child must have been in the continuous care and control of the applicants for at least three consecutive months immediately preceding the date of the adoption order.
• The applicant must have given not less than three months’ written notice to the Social Welfare Department.