JOHOR BARU, Sept 16 — Two couples in Johor chose to give birth through caesarean section on Malaysia day today as they believe it to be an auspicious date and will bring good luck to the babies.

Chew Chean Yee, 29, said she and her husband made the decision because of the good ‘feng shui’.

"We also chose the date as we want our third baby’s birthday to be celebrated by all Malaysians each year,” she said when met at the KPJ Puteri Specialist Hospital today.

Chew was initially scheduled to give birth on Sept 25 but her 3.45kg daughter was born at 8.42am today.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Phan Thi Ngoc Da, 28, who also gave birth to her baby boy at the same hospital, said her son was born at 8.14am.

"We believe in feng shui and hope our son grows up to be hardworking as we chose his time of birth between 7am and 8.30am.

"That is the time when everyone is going out to work,” she said, happy that her son was born healthy, weighing 3kg.

A total of 18 babies, comprising 12 girls and six boys, were born today between 12.01am and noon at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital here.

The Columbia Asia Hospital also recorded the birth of a baby boy weighing 3.85kg at 5pm. — Bernama