Malaysian NGOs ask for support of seven-day paternity leave

An amendment to the Employment Act allowing three days of paid paternity leave was previously proposed, but the NGOs said that it was insufficient.
By: | March 17, 2022
Topics: Compensation and Benefits | DE&I | Employee Experience | Health and Wellness | Malaysia | News

A group of over 50 NGOs in Malaysia are asking MPs to support a proposed implementation for a seven-day paternity leave. 

The Malaysian government had earlier proposed an amendment to the Employment Act allowing three days of paid paternity leave, but the NGOs said that it was insufficient, reports Free Malaysia Today. 

“This new proposed seven-day period will apply to all private sector employees and will be consistent with what fathers in the public sector currently enjoy,” the NGOs said in a statement. 

The move will also send a message that childcare is a shared responsibility and such changes to social norms would help women remain in the workforce, they added. 

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“Many countries already have paternity leave. According to a 2014 study by the International Labour Organisation, 79 out of 167 countries have laws that provide for paternity leave,” the statement read. 

Human resources minister M Saravanan had earlier highlighted that he had included the provision of paternity leave in the Employment Amendment Bill 2021.