KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — The government’s proposal to extend both maternity and paternity leave in the private sector will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat by the next parliamentary meeting in March 2020 at the very latest.

Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran told reporters today that he hoped the Bill to extend compulsory maternity leave to 90 days and paternity leave to seven days would be passed in Parliament this year, but said it could be delayed as there were many other matters to be debated. 

"We hope we can enlarge it across the board to help people.

"The problem is now there are so many Bills, you can see the order paper. If cannot, then in the March sitting,” he told reporters after receiving a petition from a women’s advocacy group pushing the Bill outside Parliament House this morning.

The current Dewan Rakyat meeting will adjourn on December 5. The next meeting starts in March next year.

Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran speaks to reporters outside the Parliament in Kuala Lumpur November 13, 2019.

Earlier, Kulasegaran together with Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Hannah Yeoh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Sim Tze Tzin and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil met about 30 representatives from the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO).

WAO, led by its executive director Sumitra Visvanathan with celebrities Daphne Iking and Jinnyboy, handed over a petition to press for paternity leave in the private sector to be extended from three days to seven, similar to the current privileges enjoyed by civil servants. 

The petition collected over 39,000 signatures.

"The three days of paternity leave proposed by the government is a positive step, but it is simply not enough. Fathers in the private sector deserve at least seven days of paternity leave, similar to the existing paternity leave in the public sector,” Sumitra said earlier.

Iking, a known child advocate and TV personality, said paternity leave will encourage fathers to actively participate in child rearing and the development of families.

"The crucial first week also allows father to be more hands-on with housework and take care of the babies and other kids,” she said.

Speaking from personal experience, Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi, a father himself, said three days was insufficient for new dads to take care of hospital matters and the family at the same time.

Women’s Aid Organisation members and activists hold placards outside the Parliament in Kuala Lumpur November 13, 2019.

While more private sector companies today provide paternity leave, it is not compulsory. As such, many new fathers will have to dip into their limited annual leave or apply for "compassionate” or emergency leave if their companies do have paternity leave policies the event of a birth.

In comparison, Singapore provides two weeks’ paternity leave for fathers of children who are Singaporean citizens, with fathers also able to share another four weeks of their wives’ 16-week maternity leave. The parental leave is funded by the government.

Myanmar provides 15 days’ paternity leave, funded by the country’s social security board scheme unless the employee is not a contributor to the scheme, in which case it will be borne by the employer.

The Philippines provides up to 14 days’ paternity leave, comprising seven days funded by the employer and another seven days that can be taken from a mother’s 105 days’ maternity leave that is funded by its social security system.