THE Society for Equality, Respect And Trust for All Sabah (Serata) is appalled by the recent proposal made by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) that new mothers should have the option of sharing their maternity leave entitlement with their husbands.
From Serata’s perspective, unless MEF is also mooting for maternity leave to be increased to at least six months from the current 98 days, this suggestion is not in the best interest of mothers who need time to recover from childbirth. Framing this as a move to ensure “equal” opportunities for fathers to take on childcare responsibilities while mum is resting is makes no sense.