By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 1: Female employees completing their maternity leave will soon receive one-off financial assistance from the government, which is expected to benefit over 132,000 women.
According to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the initiative which comes under the Employment Insurance System Act will provide financial assistance for up to 30 days of additional leave taken after the 98-day maternity leave period as it reflects the government’s commitment to recognising the vital role of women and mothers in the country.
In a New Straits Times report, he said the proposed benefit is set at 80 per cent of the insured woman’s assumed monthly salary.
“I understand the challenges of raising children, I have six children myself. Therefore, as a progressive step, the government has agreed in principle to introduce the Post-Maternity Leave Allowance (EPCB) under the Employment Insurance System Act,” he said at the National Labour Day celebration in Kuala Lumpur today.
He added that the female labour force participation rate (LFPR) reflects a critical trend of women leaving the workforce whereby it showed a sharp drop from 78.9 per cent for those aged 25 to 29 to 68.6 per cent for those aged 35 to 39.
“Maternity commitments are believed to be one of the contributing factors to this decline. The government is committed to empowering women as a key driver of the nation’s economic growth and social wellbeing,” he said, adding that the government does not want mothers to feel compelled to leave the workforce. — DayakDaily
