KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Looks matter when it comes to adopting orphans.

This was one of the factors contributing to the low adoption rate of children in orphanages, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

She said yesterday there had been many cases where prospective families, after viewing the children, declined to adopt the children as they did not meet their criteria.

"They are often choosy. They only want to adopt the child if they feel that the child is cute. We must change this trend," she said after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Welfare Department and non-profit organisation OrphanCare.

OrphanCare was set up in April to help orphans find suitable families and to assist families in the adoption process.

Shahrizat said couples preferred to adopt children below the age of 1. Most refused to adopt a child born out of wedlock or if the background of the child was unknown, she added.

"Malaysians need to change their mindset. Children should not be left permanently in orphanages. They need to be brought up in a proper family atmosphere."

She added that unmarried individuals were also allowed to adopt if they met the Welfare Department's criteria.

"But married couples without children are given priority."

As of June, the Welfare Department received 56 applications for adoption, and had successfully placed 38 children with foster families.

Last year, 74 children were adopted. The department received 119 applications.