With the country celebrating Malaysia Day today, for some couples the arrival of babies made it double the joy.

At the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL), 28 babies were born - 14 boys and 14 girls - between 1am to 2pm today, with the first one arriving at 1.30am.

HKL information officer P. Chandran said there was also a set of triplets who were born one minute apart, between 10.01am and 10.03am.

"Their mother is resting and not ready to be interviewed as she is still weak from the Caesarean section.

"The mother and her babies are doing well," Chandran told reporters when met at the HKL maternity ward.

For HKL nurse Nor Fatin Kamarudin, 26, who delivered a 2.8kg baby boy at 4.17am, her second child was extra special as his birthday was historic to the nation.

"Ibrahim Edrogen is my second child. He is special as he is born in September, the same month as his brother and father.

"I am happy and thankful for a normal delivery. The due date was Sept 21. I hope this baby grows up to become a useful person," Nor Fatin said, adding that she was naming him after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In the case of Nor Anis Haslinda Md Yunos, the birth of her fourth child was a special gift for her 68-year-old father as they shared the same birth date.

"I expected to deliver on Oct 2, thankfully even though my daughter who was born 2.95kg, arrived early, it was a normal delivery at 5.30am. I hope she grows up healthy and be a good child," said the 30-year-old housewife from Meru, Klang.

(From left) Shelei Hermansyah, 27, Noranis Haslinda Md Yunus, 30, Nur Fatin Kamarudin, 26, and Nor Ambridah Sulaiman, 29, with their new bundle of joy at the HKL today. - BERNAMApic
In SELANGOR, as of noon today, 14 'Malaysia' babies - seven girls and seven boys - were born at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) in Klang.

HTAR head nurse at the maternity ward Norhanida Sharifudin said the first baby, a girl weighing 2.5kg, arrived at 12.21am.

In PENANG, 11 babies were born at Penang Hospital, comprising four boys and seven girls, including the 2.5kg son of Malaysia's Snake Queen Puteri Nur Ariyani Saiful Yazan, 30, at 7.30am.

In PERLIS, eight babies - four boys and four girls- were born at the Tuanku Fauziah Hospital (HTF) today.

A HTF spokesperson said the first baby arrived at 12.39am while the eighth was born at 8.50am.

Of the total, all Malays, seven babies were born normal, while one by Caesarean section.

In ALOR SETAR, as of 2pm, 12 babies were born at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB).

According to HSB director, Dr Zaiton Udin, seven of the babies were boys.

The first baby, a boy weighing 3.54kg, was born at 12.30am.

In PERAK, four boys were born at the Ipoh Pantai Hospital, with the first arriving at 12.06am and the fourth at 8.27am.

Ipoh Pantai Hospital spokesperson Betty Caleb said three of the four babies born at the hospital were boys, while the baby girl weighed 3kg.

In PAHANG, as of 10am, 26 babies were born, with equal number of boys and girls.

Pahang Health Director Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the first baby boy weighing 3.05kg was born at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA) here moments after midnight.

"HTAA recorded the highest number of births, with 11 babies, followed by Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Temerloh (five), Pekan Hospital and Muadzam Hospital, Rompin (three each), Kuala Lipis Hospital (two), and Bentong and Raub Hospitals (one each)," he said.

In SEREMBAN, as of 2pm, 18 babies were born at the Tuanku Jaafar Hospital, Seremban (HTJS)- 10 boys and eight girls. -- Bernama