KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 ― The Senate today passed the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2021, which among others, deals with the increase of maternity leave from 60 days to 98 days in line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention.

The Bill was passed with a unanimous vote following the third reading by Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Awang Hashim after being debated by 17 senators.

Awang, when winding up the debate on the Bill earlier said the rationale for increasing the maternity leave period from 60 to 98 days was to ensure that women employees got enough rest, as well as to strengthen the mother-child relationship.

"Besides that, it is to take care of the safety and health of women workers as well as the proper growth of children, and encouraging women's participation in the labour market.

"This increase also takes into account the factor that most neighbouring countries have given 90 days or more maternity leave, for example, Indonesia, which gives 90 days, South Korea also gives 90 days and our trading partner, Japan gives 98 days,” he said.

Awang said the benefits of maternity leave could provide protection to women workers while keeping them in the employment sector, as well as attracting more women to enter the job market.

The Dewan Negara today also passed the Control of Supplies (Amendment) Bill 2021 to amend the Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Act 122).

The Bill, tabled by Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Rosol Wahid, was passed with a more unanimous vote after being debated by nine senators.

Among other things, the Bill seeks to empower supply officers, police officers not below the rank of inspector or customs officers to detain without warrant a person believed to have committed or attempted to commit an offence under Act 122.

The Dewan Negara sitting continues tomorrow. ― Bernama