/file/publisher-c1a3f893382d2b2f8a9aa22a654d9c97/2023/05/6dc99e953a008489ed624b32254618ae.jpg)
Nancy open to reviewing proposal on shared maternity leave with husbands
PARLIAMENT | Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri is open to reviewing a proposal to allow maternity leave to be shared between husbands and wives, giving couples room to manage the needs of mother and baby after childbirth.
Nancy (above) said the proposal, put forward by Rodziah Ismail (Harapan-Ampang), is good as it allows couples to spend more time with their families.
“Thank you, Yang Berhormat. We will...
PARLIAMENT | Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri is open to reviewing a proposal to allow maternity leave to be shared between husbands and wives, giving couples room to manage the needs of mother and baby after childbirth.
Nancy (above) said the proposal, put forward by Rodziah Ismail (Harapan-Ampang), is good as it allows couples to spend more time with their families.
“Thank you, Yang Berhormat. We will look into the proposal. I hope those at the back (ministry officials) take note of this matter. It is a very good proposal.
“I strongly support when people talk about families being together,” Nancy said during the winding-up session of the Supply Bill 2027 debate for her ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Rodziah was of the view that the government needs to re-examine maternity leave benefits so that the duration can be shared between spouses.
The PKR lawmaker said the facility could help couples manage specific situations after childbirth, including when the baby suffers from jaundice and requires additional care.
/file/publisher-c1a3f893382d2b2f8a9aa22a654d9c97/2024/10/25004b6448d779c0d72b27c8a70fe503.jpg "Parliament sitting Dewan Rakyat Penggal Ketiga October 15 151024 AMPANG Rodziah binti Ismail")
According to her, there are situations where a wife needs to use part of her leave duration to give the husband the opportunity to help care for the baby, while the paternity leave available to husbands is limited.
Therefore, she proposed that the government consider a mechanism for sharing the leave so that both parents have flexibility in caring for their child.
Currently, female employees in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan are entitled to a minimum of 98 days of maternity leave, compared to 60 days before amendments to the Employment Act 1955 came into force on Jan 1, 2023.
Male employees who meet the specified conditions are entitled to seven consecutive days of paid paternity leave under the same amendments.
/file/publisher-c1a3f893382d2b2f8a9aa22a654d9c97/2024/01/e5989c51ac39ee84f136690178e13f4c.jpg)
/file/publisher-c1a3f893382d2b2f8a9aa22a654d9c97/2024/07/e036b14dfe731c3c10f9d19cbf9f9707.jpg)
/file/publisher-c1a3f893382d2b2f8a9aa22a654d9c97/2024/08/2e30fb8e81dc996926b50a0c94fcf276.jpg)
It is a good idea worth studying, but a mother’s recovery must come first. Maternity leave is also time for her body to heal and for her mental health to be cared for. My wife had family looking after her during her 30 days of confinement, yet she still experienced postnatal depression. Having help does not mean a mother has fully recovered. Fathers should have more time to care for their wives and babies. But if that time comes from shortening the mother’s leave, we need to examine the consequences carefully. Sharing the responsibility should not leave her with less time to recover.
Report this comment
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.