Malaysia's Employment (Amendment) Act 2022 — 98-Day Maternity Leave, Pregnancy-Dismissal Shield and Higher Harassment Penalties

Malaysia's Employment (Amendment) Act 2022 updated the Employment Act 1955, with the changes in force from 1 January 2023.
Gender-relevant provisions: paid maternity leave rose from 60 to 98 days; married male employees gained 7 consecutive days of paid paternity leave (up to five confinements); dismissing a woman because of pregnancy or pregnancy-related illness became an offence, with the employer bearing the burden of proving another ground (breach of contract, misconduct or closure of business); the fine for failing to inquire into a sexual-harassment complaint rose from RM10,000 to RM50,000 and employers must display a harassment notice; employees may apply in writing for flexible hours, days or place of work, and employers must answer within 60 days, giving written reasons for any refusal.
Evidence caveat: the sources describe the legal text; no evaluation of changes in women's employment, pay or harassment reporting was found, and employers are not obliged to grant flexible-work requests. The practice is catalogued for its replicable legal design, not for proven impact.

Read the full analysis: https://conventuslaw.com/report/malaysia-the-employment-amendment-act-2022-key-changes-to-the-employment-act-1955/