Women should not be forced to choose
Published on: Sunday, August 11, 2024
Text Size:
Women are an important and vital component of our country’s workforce, and have been since independence. They should not be forced to choose between a career in the civil service and having a baby.
This is following the public backlash after the report about the head of the Hulu Langat district health office’s decision to cut maternity leave from 90 to 60 days for women doctors in all 15 government health clinics in the district from last June 27 due to “critical” staff shortages.
Women are an important and vital component of our country’s workforce, and have been since independence. They should not be forced to choose between a career in the civil service and having a baby.
Yet, there are circumstances where many doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who have left the service, disappointed by the seemingly lack of compassion and empathy by administrators, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Administrators are bound by administrative circulars from bodies such as the Public Services Commission as well as manpower realities.
Such circumstances have undoubtedly occurred elsewhere around the country. However, this is an opportunity for the current government to introduce meaningful reform not just in the health service, or this particular incident, but the entire Malaysian civil service as a whole.
A number of things must change institutionally. First, the Service Circulars for Human Resources (MyPPSM) should be immediately amended to reflect a maximum of 98 days full-pay maternity leave for all eligible civil servants. There is no need for the existing 60-day minimum.
Second, attitudes regarding civil service employment must change.
Practices that are exploitative in nature, such as unpaid or uncompensated labour, unreasonably long working hours, bullying, and curtailing of job entitlements like annual leave, should not be normalised, romanticised, or desensitised.
Unfortunately, some of these practices have been described for far too long as sacrifices or altruism, especially in the healthcare space.
Those who are in administrative roles and functions, particularly administrative and diplomatic officers (better known as pegawai tadbir dan diplomatik), should know that a higher standard and better quality of governance is expected.
The civil service has to compete with the private sector for workers, and better and dignified working conditions are a prerequisite and a bare minimum. It is not always about how much a person is paid.
Healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses, who have voiced out their objections or insist on better working conditions have been described as weak, soft and pampered.
We do them a disservice by waving off their concerns, taking complaints lightly, or gaslighting them. Listen to them instead, and respond appropriately.
We can and must find additional funds for locum doctors, contract healthcare professionals such as nurses, and pharmacists.
We cannot afford to lose dedicated people, who have made a commitment to a career in public service, simply because they are asking for better or more supportive working conditions.
Azrul Mohd Khalib
CEO, Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy
The views expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Express.
If you have something to share, write to us at: [email protected]
ADVERTISEMENT
