KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s proposal to increase maternity leave from 60 to 90 days for private sector employees is to promote better family ties for future generations.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said mothers and their newborn babies needed bonding time, including for nursing purposes.
Dr Wan Azizah who is also Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, said the mothers should actually be given more time to be with their babies.
“To me, it is better that mothers are given more time with their babies. We want to see mothers with their babies, during breastfeeding, during bonding time, to me this is the best for future generations,” she said.
Dr Wan Azizah was commenting on the 2020 Budget announcement which included the proposal to increase the duration of maternity leave.
At present, civil servants enjoy 90 days maternity leave.
Commenting further, Dr Wan Azizah said it was common for a proposal by the government to get various feedbacks from society and related bodies.
“Some will like it, some will not. Some will say it will lead to future problems, especially for employers when the workers do not go to work for 90 days, so they will lose out. To me, the employers must also see if operations are affected or not,” she said. – Bernama
