The Legal and Ethical Dilemmas in Keeping Abreast with Innovations in Medical Sciences

摘要

Medical sciences have been advancing rapidly with the invention of various technologies such as xenotransplantation, ectogenesis and womb transplant. These technologies bring with them several ethical and moral issues that need to be carefully scrutinised in order to protect the interests of individuals and society. Although these techniques have yet to make their way into Malaysia, research and evaluation on their potential benefits and harms is pertinent to ensure that sufficient legal mechanism is put in place when these techniques are eventually introduced in this country. This paper thus aims to identify the legal, moral and ethical dilemmas brought by the advent of these technologies in the context of Malaysia as a multi-racial country with Islam declared as the official religion.