A month of paternity leave: Govt will study proposal - Ali Hamsa

The Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) and the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Civil Service (Cuepacs) have been told to table their one-month of paternity leave proposal to the government.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Ali Hamsa said the government is willing to study the proposal once it is tabled.

He declined to respond further on the proposal and said any decision on the matter would involve detailed research.

"We have to study this. What is important is that in the civil service, when we want incentive, then we must give back with higher productivity.

"I have not received any proposal yet," he said at a press conference today.

The MTUC had recently suggested that government and private companies offer a month of paternity leave with full salary to new fathers.

However, the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) said this is not the right time to implement fraternity leave for a month.

READ: MEF against paternity leave proposal

Its executive director Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan said it will only affect operational cost and company productivity.