Malaysia legislation

Section 12

of EMPLOYMENT (AMENDMENT) ACT 2012

Section 12

Section 37 of the principal Act is amended—

(a)

by substituting for paragraph (1)(a) the following paragraph:

“(1)(a)  Every female employee shall be entitled—

(i)

to maternity leave for an eligible period in respect of each confinement; and

(ii)

subject to this Part, to receive from her employer a maternity allowance to be calculated or prescribed as provided in subsection (2) in respect of the eligible period.”;

(b)

in paragraph (1)(aa), by substituting for the words

“paragraph (a)” the words “subparagraph (a)(i)”;

(c)

in paragraph (1)(c), by substituting for the words “paragraph

(a)

” the words “subparagraph (a)(ii)”;

(d)

by substituting for paragraph (1)(d) the following paragraph:

“(d) For the purposes of this Part—

(i)

“children” means all natural children, irrespective of age; and

(ii)

“eligible period” means a period of maternity leave of not less than sixty consecutive days.”;

(e)

by substituting for paragraph (2)(a) the following paragraph:

“(2)(a)  A female employee shall be entitled to receive maternity allowance for the eligible period from her employer if—

(i)

she has been employed by the employer for a period of, or periods amounting in the aggregate to, not less than ninety days during the nine months immediately before her confinement;

and

(ii)

she has been employed by the employer at any time in the four months immediately before her confinement;”; and

(f)

by inserting after subsection (3) the following subsection:

“(4)  Any employer who terminates the service of a female employee during the period in which she is entitled to maternity leave commits an offence:

Provided that for the purpose of this section, such termination shall not include termination on the ground of closure of the employer’s business.”.

Amendment of section 40