Reviewing the key highlights of #Bajet2018 , 2018 has been the ‘Year to Empower Women’, with a huge budget allocated to elevate the role of women in the country. With that said, the government’s decision that increases the mandatory maternity leave under the private sector from 60 to 90 days has sparked debate amongst Malaysians.
In a recent interview, Deputy Minister of Human Resources Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib also emphasised that employers who terminate contracts of female staff taking 90 days of maternity leave could be investigated and sued for their irresponsible actions, which is evidently a win for women.
As of now, the mandatory 90-day maternity leave is still under the proposal phase and will have to go through the steps of consulting relevant stakeholders and amending the related acts under the Malaysian law before officiating it.
With that said, the minister highlighted, “Although there is no specific clause stating that private sector employers cannot terminate the service of a female worker for taking 90 days maternity leave, we have to uphold the principle law which is the Federal Constitution.”
Regarding that, it is advisable for all female staff who have been terminated or have been served a termination notice for taking 90 days of maternity leave to report their cases to the ministry for further investigation. If found guilty, these employers will be prosecuted under the Employment Act 1955.
So ladies, do know your rights, especially if you are expecting or know someone who is.
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