In Malaysia, a desperate individual has taken to Facebook to offer their kidney or eye for RM250,000 to RM300,000, aiming to reclaim pawned family land. This offer is part of a troubling trend visible on the Facebook page “Mencari Penderma Buah Pinggang” (Looking for Kidney Donors), which exposes the alarming prevalence of open organ sales on social media, much like selling items online.

This situation highlights the severe financial struggles faced by many Malaysians, who are driven to extreme measures to raise cash. A visit to the Facebook page “Mencari Penderma Buah Pinggang” revealed it has 717 members from across the country. On November 24, 2023, a post by a woman named “Aisy Lelika” detailed her age, health status, and blood type, as she offered to sell her kidney for RM500,000, providing her phone number for potential buyers.

A recent post from six days ago on the Facebook page “Mencari Penderma Buah Pinggang” featured a member from Kuantan, Pahang, inquiring about the procedure to assess kidney health before announcing their intention to sell a kidney. Another post sought buyers for a kidney and requested private messages from interested parties. Additionally, a user named “Tiada Nma” offered a kidney for under RM10,000, citing desperation.

Organ sales are illegal in Malaysia. The Health Ministry stresses that organ donations should be voluntary and not motivated by financial gain. The ministry permits living organ donations only to close blood relatives, including identical twins, first-degree, and second-degree relatives, as well as legal spouses.