Giving birth to a child is definitely one of the most painful experiences that a woman would go through. That being said, after giving birth mothers would be given time off to rest and recuperate while getting used to taking care of a newborn.
Prior to this, the original maternity leave was set at 60 days but after the amendment, maternity leave is increased from 60 days to 98 days. Following the announcement, it is said that this new amendment will commence in January 2023.
While having 98 days of maternity leave may sound like a dream to some, it has also created a lot of worries for Malaysians. Following that many netizens have commented on this issue and here’s what some of them said:
“90 days shouldn’t be opposed because it’s a benefit that the previous government has set. But perhaps they could make an amendment and only give the 98-day maternity leave to mothers who are giving birth to their first child. Following that, I think 60 days is enough.”
“98 days of maternity leave is indicating that the government is trying to encourage families to have more kids. If that’s the case, it seems like many employers would face headaches if their employees would want to have kids more often.”
“I think 60 days of maternity leave is enough, I don’t think the government should increase the burden of employers especially when the economy of the country has yet to recover. Plus, it seems like this isn’t a good thing for women because many companies would rather not hire women, and this would decrease the rate of employment amongst women.”
“The only reason why Singapore and Europe would implement such measures is because their birth rate is worrying.”
Do you think 98 days of maternity leave is a good idea for our country? Let us know in the comments below.
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