In theory, cloning provides an alluring shortcut to amplifying the number of organisms with an apparently desirable genetic constitution. As for plants, cloning can produce a stable mixture of robustness and productivity as for commercial value. The desire to clone livestock could then be used not just to provide traditional products such as meat, milk and hide but also produce natural proteins for pharmaceutal use. The more visionary purpose is to serve as organ donors for human transplants. If the high level produces could be cloned then standardized herds could be established relatively quickly to facilitate efficient drug production. Whatever views about using animal for human drug production or replenishing defunct human organs, it is important to realize that it is mammalian trangenesis and not cloning that has made these practices possible. Cloning would have little feature and commercial value without genetic engineering.
As technology marches on relentlessly, it is understood why Dolly, the world’s most famous sheep arrived a few years ago. Dolly, the sheep developed from an egg whose own genes have been replaced by an adult udder cell (her mother) was seen as the first incarnation of a sinister future. Since then animal cloning effort thrusted forward and more recently, a clone calf named Suzi was the first cloned mammal created in Australia and just last year researches in Texas, USA claimed the first successful genetic reproduction of a cat in the form of a kitten called Cc. Until Dolly came about, no mammal had been cloned and she was the first unequivocal mammalian clone. But it has to be pointed out that Dolly was a single sheep produced from nearly three hundred attempts, without even counting the previous years of failed experiments. With a single result of this kind it is not possible to evaluate the real frequency of success. Is it one in three hundred or one in a million? Nonetheless, cloning remains an extremely costly, technically demanding and inefficient exercise.
Finally, the inevitable question, is it possible to clone humans. The prospect of cloning humans tends to encourage wild speculation, from dark visions of eugenics to popular fantasies about immortality. The question is unanswerable. It is quite possible that cloned individuals would turn out to be at risk. We still do not know the long term effects of asking an “old” adult cell to begin life again in an egg. The nucleus could have accumulated many genetic mistakes and could prove deleterious or greatly increases the possibility of developing cancer. But it is undeniable that therapeutic cloning can help in treatments for a range of illness including arthritis, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.
What does reproductive human cloning then imply? And why the controversy? There are many moral, ethical and religious issues and objections surrounding cloning. Traditionalists object to this invasive procedure because asexual reproduction is thought “going against the order of nature” they claim scientists are playing God, taking foetal life, the diminution of human dignity and the use of surrogate mothers. Human cloning is also estimated to produce up to 98% rates of abnormalities. Unlike laboratory animals, unsuccessfully cloned feotuses or embryos cannot be destroyed owing to ethical and religious consideration. If cloning becomes a reality, would insurance companies insure a cloned being knowing it is going to have problems in the future?
While Malaysia does not have laws relating to reproductive cloning of human beings, it intends to legislate to prohibit reproductive cloning of human beings taking into consideration cultural, ethical, religious and social concerns, given the religious and cultural diversity in Malaysia. Currently, the government agrees that the proposed initiative should focus on provisions regulating reproductive cloning of human beings, it has not at this stage taken a position on the issue of therapeutic cloning. According to the Heatlh Minister, Malaysia appreciates the potential for medical revolution accompanying the advent of technology in the area of reproductive cloning of human beings, it is in agreement with France and Germany (United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on an International Convention against the Reproductive Cloning of Human Beings, 26th February 2002 3rd Meeting) that reproductive cloning of human beings poses unknown and serious problems to the human race. Potential abuse of technology related to reproductive cloning of human beings not only raises moral, religious and ethical concerns but also poses risks such as developmental and bodily abnormalities to humans. Aside from these important moral, religious and ethical considerations, what makes it unacceptable is the fact that medical technology related to reproductive cloning of human beings at the present time is too risky for consideration.
In my personal opinion, cloning should not be banned because cloning a person does not produce a duplicate, nor does it prolong his life. The clone would be entirely a different person other than his inherited strengths and weakness, with quite different experiences, thoughts, attitudes, priorities, even preferences – and certainly identity. The society should be well educated about the effects of cloning and not just having all the negative thoughts about clones used for war or slaves. Educational pamphlets or campaigns should be organized to provide the society with valuable information on cloning. In summary, cloning should be used for medical advances but never misused or manipulated. For example, scientific research involving stem cells, including from embryonic tissue, could yield new treatments for disease. Cloning could be the greatest scientific biological achievement if properly conducted for the right causes.
