KUALA LUMPUR, August 6 — The reduction of medical officers’ maternity leave to 60 days discourages women from remaining in or joining the health care workforce, says the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO).
The women’s rights groups noted that most employees in the care sector, particularly in health care, are women.
“Rolling back mechanisms that support work-life balance, such as adequate maternity leave, not only undermines the well-being of these workers, but also threatens the resilience of the entire care infrastructure,” WAO said in a statement to CodeBlue.
“Such a precedent is detrimental, as it discourages women from remaining in or joining the health care workforce. This, in turn, risks exacerbating existing workforce shortages and compounds the inequalities women already face.”
WAO acknowledged that the Hulu Langat district health office’s (PKD) decision to cut maternity leave from 90 to 60 days for doctors in Klinik Kesihatan in the district in Selangor was approved for exigencies, but told the government to set the standard and emulate best practices.
Under the 2022 amendment of the Employment Act 1955 that covers all private sector employees – which was advocated by various civil society groups, including WAO – minimum paid maternity leave entitlement was increased from 60 to 98 days, matching international labour standards.
“The public health care system is a crucial infrastructure, and the government must resolve the underlying causes of the current shortage of doctors, through means which include better resourcing. As it is, Malaysia does not sufficiently spend enough for health care,” said WAO.
“The excessive workload, burnout, and insufficient support systems that health care professionals experience have already resulted in a worrying increase in the migration and resignation of talent and specialists, further destabilising an already strained system.”
WAO also urged the government to enhance paternity leave, which is currently limited to seven days, to ensure more equitable distribution of child care responsibility between mother and father.
The women’s rights group pointed out that fundamental support for families remains inadequate and inaccessible, despite an increased push from certain ministers to encourage marriage and childbearing.
“In conclusion, reducing maternity leave is a shortsighted measure that fails to consider the broader implications for our care economy and may reinforce gender roles.
“We urge the government to reconsider this decision and focus on implementing comprehensive support systems that address the real issues at hand, ensuring the well-being and resilience of our health care workers and the care infrastructure.”
