Kesejahteraan Sosial

18 KOMPENDIUM REKOMENDASI POLISI KESEJAHTERAAN PSIKOLOGI PERKHIDMATAN AWAM KESEJAHTERAAN SOSIAL The limited duration of maternity leave poses a major challenge for breastfeeding mothers. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life, yet the maximum 90-day maternity leave in Malaysia covers only half of this recommended period. This puts considerable pressure on mothers to stop breastfeeding prematurely when they return to work. Research has shown that insufficient maternity leave is closely linked to early cessation of breastfeeding, with mothers who return to work within three months significantly less likely to fulfil WHO breastfeeding recommendations due to lack of time and insufficient support at work (Dagher, McGovern, Schold, & Randall, 2016; The Lancet, 2023). The lack of flexible time to express breast milk, particularly in workplaces without breastfeeding-friendly policies, further reduces the likelihood of continued breastfeeding (Amin et al., 2011). Furthermore, existing maternity leave policies do not adequately accommodate women who experience complications during labour or who require an extended recovery period, increasing the risk of premature return to work and compromising maternal well-being. These limitations indicate that the current policy framework does not fully support maternal health, continuity of breastfeeding or work-life balance and is not in line with international best practise. The ILO recommends maternity leave of at least 14 weeks (98 days), preferably 18 weeks (126 days) or more, compensated with at least two-thirds of the woman’s previous earnings (Addati, 2015). In addition, the Public Service Circular 1/2024 allows male civil servants to take up to 20 days of accumulated unrecorded leave for paternity purposes, but this leave is bundled with other forms of unrecorded leave such as for bereavement, elections, or community service-making it difficult for fathers to secure time off for early childcare. While this provision is an improvement on previous measures, including Civil Service Circular 9/2002 and the Employment Act 1955 (Act 265, Amendment 2023, Section 60FA), it remains insufficient to promote a family-friendly workplace culture. The limited paternity leave discourages fathers from actively participating in early childcare and reinforces traditional gender norms by placing a disproportionate caregiving burden on women. This undermines efforts to promote gender equality and shared parental responsibility. Globally, there is evidence that extended paternity leave