Groups welcome flexi-hours proposal
By Nisha Sabanayagam and Evangeline Majawat, News Straits Times, 23 August 2008
KUALA LUMPUR: Women groups yesterday welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s support for flexible hours for female workers.
The non-governmental organisations said flexi-hours would benefit the country in terms of productivity and would also reduce the dependence on foreign maids.
National Council of Women’s Organisation Malaysia deputy president Faridah Khalid said the flexi-hours concept was not new and many women’s groups had been advocating it for some time.
“This is a welcome move by the deputy prime minister,” she said.
At the sixth Women’s Summit on Thursday, Najib had said that he would support the call by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen for a review of the Employment Act 1955 to include flexible hours for the female labour force.
He had said that it was what women wanted and would help get more women in the workforce.
Faridah said allowing women to work flexible hours would enable them to focus on their families.
“Women need to play the role of mother first. They can’t sacrifice that.”
Flexi-hours would also reduce stress and may reduce the dependency on foreign maids as mothers get to spend more time with their children, she said.
All Women’s Action Action Movement president Lim Siu Ching said that the organisation was very much for flexi-hours for women and hoped that this was the start of more benefits for female workers.
Lim agreed that having flexible hours would encourage more women to join the workforce.
“It will definitely lead to better productivity among the women workers as they will be happier.”
Lim said the issue now was how soon the concept could be implemented.
