KUALA LUMPUR, August 6 — Dzulkefly Ahmad announced today the reinstatement of 90-day maternity leave for medical officers in public health clinics under the Hulu Langat district health office (PKD) in Selangor.
The health minister claimed that the decision to restore maternity leave to the maximum 90 days for civil servants was made at the same time when CodeBlue broke the story last Friday about a June 27 circular by Hulu Langat PKD that cut, with immediate effect, maternity leave from 90 to 60 days for medical officers in all 15 Klinik Kesihatan in the district due to staff shortages.
“Actually, that [memorandum] was issued during a district health officer’s process and discussion of trying to look for solutions to manpower issues. You know very well that the Ministry of Health (MOH) is always facing human resource problems,” Dzulkefly told a press conference in Putrajaya.
“However, I want to stress that that issue has been resolved in which what was not given, has been given an extension to 90 days, and it was at that moment when this issue was exposed and went viral.”
Contrary to the health minister’s claims, Selangor state health director Dr Ummi Kalthom Shamsudin issued a statement last Saturday – a day after CodeBlue’s August 2 report – to justify Hulu Langat PKD’s “temporary measure” to cut maternity leave from 90 to 60 days for medical officers in Klinik Kesihatan in the district.
Dr Ummi Kalthom, citing the Public Service Department (JPA) Human Resource Services Circular (Leave Facility) Version 1.0 (2022) circular, said the shortened maternity leave of 60 days for each birth was the minimum mandatory leave period.
The Selangor state health department (JKNS) had also said the decision for the maternity leave reduction was made at a June 26 meeting among Hulu Langat district health officers, division heads, unit heads, and clinic heads, and agreed upon by all clinic heads.
Dr Ummi Kalthom further pointed out that Hulu Langat PKD held a dialogue session between district health officers and medical officers last Friday to explain the current situation and measures of improvement in the district.
The Selangor state health director justified the maternity leave reduction from 90 to 60 days on the basis of seven medical officers in a few Klinik Kesihatan in Hulu Langat taking maternity leave at the same time throughout June and July, besides several medical officers rejecting their placements when they were instructed to report for duty to Hulu Langat PKD.
After officiating an event earlier today on a national celebration of strengthening Malaysian children’s first 1,000 days of life, Dzulkefly acknowledged the “utmost importance” of 90 days’ maternity leave.
“Moving forward, the first line of solution should be to mobilise medical officers surrounding Klinik Kesihatan to accommodate seven taking simultaneous maternity leave. That won’t be a big problem if we can place medical officers in that district to take over the duties,” the health minister told reporters.
“It’s unfortunate that this happened. The Ministry should show compassion to our staff.”
Both Hartal Doktor Kontrak and the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) yesterday slammed the reduction of maternity leave for women medical officers in public health clinics in Hulu Langat. JKNS’ justification for the shortened maternity leave of 60 days was also widely panned by both government doctors and the general public.
Earlier today, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri told reporters that she would raise the issue at tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting, stressing that civil servants are entitled to 90 days’ maternity leave.
Under the 2022 amendment of the Employment Act 1955 that covers all private sector employees – which came into force on January 1, 2023 – minimum paid maternity leave entitlement was increased from 60 to 98 days, matching international labour standards.
