KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 27): The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry will look into a proposal to allow maternity leave entitlements to be shared between spouses.

Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the proposal would be considered to give couples greater flexibility in sharing childcare responsibilities, particularly when mothers need additional support after giving birth.

“Thank you, Yang Berhormat Ampang. We will look into the proposal,” she said when winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2027 at the policy stage for the ministry in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.

Nancy said she supports initiatives that encourage families to spend more time together and share childcare responsibilities.

Earlier, Rodziah Ismail (Pakatan Harapan-Ampang) suggested allowing mothers to share their maternity leave with their husbands, particularly when their newborns require additional care.

“The seven days of paternity leave and 98 days of maternity leave currently provided are welcome measures. But it would be even better if the leave could be shared with husbands. Sometimes, newborn babies develop jaundice or other health problems, and it is the husbands who should be taking leave.

“However, husbands cannot take paternity leave beyond the existing entitlement. I think it is time for the minister to review the current leave provisions and consider allowing couples to share them,” Rodziah said.

On another matter, Nancy said the Social Welfare Department (JKM) could consider temporarily providing cash assistance to welfare recipients whose bank accounts have been frozen following fraud-related investigations.

She said the measure is aimed at ensuring that recipients could continue to meet their daily needs despite being unable to access their bank accounts.

Under existing guidelines, she said, JKM's monthly assistance payments are disbursed through electronic fund transfers  into recipients' active personal bank accounts.

“If a recipient's bank account is frozen or can no longer be used due to a fraud-related investigation, the recipient or their lawful next of kin is advised to contact the nearest District Social Welfare Office immediately for advice and to provide details of an alternative valid and active bank account,” she said.

Nancy said the Finance Ministry had also informed that banks are willing to cooperate with welfare recipients whose accounts had been frozen pending investigations to enable them to withdraw their welfare assistance payments.

She said JKM is aware of the financial security issues affecting welfare recipients, particularly online scams, identity theft and bank account freezes that disrupt the payment of monthly assistance.

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