Women’s Aid Organisation advocacy manager Gandipan Gopalan said such a model would create space for both parents to plan better and ensure the responsibility of newborn care is not borne by mothers alone.

He said it would help shift perceptions from a maternal focus to shared parental roles.

“Very few workplaces, especially in the private sector, proactively offer better provisions for fathers to care for their children unless the government enacts it in law,” he told FMT.

On April 1, Singapore introduced a 10-week shared parental leave scheme for parents of babies born on or after that date.

However, Better Dads co-founder Jason Leong said that while the policy could help normalise fathers’ involvement, attitudes may not change easily.

“Many fathers still see their primary role as provider first, parent second. The fathers who will take parental leave are the ones already inclined to be involved. They are the minority,” he said.

Leong noted that fathers are becoming more present in early childcare, although they may not be consistently engaged due to career demands that penalise men who prioritise family time.

Malaysian Employers Federation president Syed Hussain Syed Husman said the policy would disrupt operations and raise employer costs.

“Extended parental leave will reduce productivity in key sectors. A 10-week parental leave will strain SMEs and MSMEs already in survival mode.

“An employer-funded model is not sustainable without government support or a cost-sharing mechanism,” he said, adding that higher labour costs may weaken Malaysia’s appeal and drive businesses to cheaper countries.

Syed Hussain proposed a phased introduction starting with large companies and selected sectors, and called for incentives to help employers adopt flexible parental policies.

“The government should assess economic and operational impact before a nationwide rollout,” he said.