ID :
16576
Thu, 08/21/2008 - 15:56
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/16576
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M'SIAN DPM SAYS TIME TO REVIEW ACT TO ATTRACT MORE WOMEN INTO THE WORKFORCE
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak says the time has come for the Malaysian Employment Act 1955 to be reviewed to attract more women to join the country's workforce.
Saying that he would support any move to encourage more women to join the employment sector, and make Malaysia more competitive, Najib said, the reviewcould include making provisions for a more flexible working schedule.
"In principle, I support any move to increase women's participation in theworkforce.
"At the moment, the rate is about 46 per cent, which is still low compared to those of the developed countries, which is about 70 per cent or more," he told a news conference after opening the Women's Summit 2008 at the Sime Darbyconvention centre Thursday.
The one-day conference is an annual event organised by the Women, Familyand Community Development Ministry in conjunction with Women's Day.
In his speech earlier, Najib said the recognition on the role of women inthe national workforce was not a platitude or a political rhetoric.
"It is about making Malaysia competitive... bringing more women into the workforce is not a choice but a neccessity to enhance Malaysia'scompetitiveness.
"This requires a total mindshift, in terms of how we approach the wholenotion of getting more and more women into the workplace," he said.
Najib said women were very productive workers, diligent, hard-working andfocus.
"What we need to do is to redesign and reconfigure the Employment Act through which we, as employers both in the public and private sectors, can introduce new measures in our respective organisations to encourage more womento work and to stay on as workers as part of the national workforce.
"Some women may decide to leave but I believe they must be allowed anoption to come back," he said.
Najib said feedback from today's summit would be used as a reference inamending the act.
He also said that women were becoming very significant players in theglobal economy.
"For the Southeast Asian region, 18 to 30 per cent of self-employed workers in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand were women. InMalaysia, some 60,000 women-owned business are registered each year," he said.
He said with the establishment of the Enterpreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry in 1995 and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in 2001, the government had put in place the financial and technicalsupport for women and their businesses.
"Financial assistance schemes are also provided by various agencies to facilitate more women to become entrepreneurs. It is clear that the inclusion of women into mainstream economic activities is no longer an option, but aprerequisite for a sustained economic development," he said.
-- BERNAMA
Saying that he would support any move to encourage more women to join the employment sector, and make Malaysia more competitive, Najib said, the reviewcould include making provisions for a more flexible working schedule.
"In principle, I support any move to increase women's participation in theworkforce.
"At the moment, the rate is about 46 per cent, which is still low compared to those of the developed countries, which is about 70 per cent or more," he told a news conference after opening the Women's Summit 2008 at the Sime Darbyconvention centre Thursday.
The one-day conference is an annual event organised by the Women, Familyand Community Development Ministry in conjunction with Women's Day.
In his speech earlier, Najib said the recognition on the role of women inthe national workforce was not a platitude or a political rhetoric.
"It is about making Malaysia competitive... bringing more women into the workforce is not a choice but a neccessity to enhance Malaysia'scompetitiveness.
"This requires a total mindshift, in terms of how we approach the wholenotion of getting more and more women into the workplace," he said.
Najib said women were very productive workers, diligent, hard-working andfocus.
"What we need to do is to redesign and reconfigure the Employment Act through which we, as employers both in the public and private sectors, can introduce new measures in our respective organisations to encourage more womento work and to stay on as workers as part of the national workforce.
"Some women may decide to leave but I believe they must be allowed anoption to come back," he said.
Najib said feedback from today's summit would be used as a reference inamending the act.
He also said that women were becoming very significant players in theglobal economy.
"For the Southeast Asian region, 18 to 30 per cent of self-employed workers in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand were women. InMalaysia, some 60,000 women-owned business are registered each year," he said.
He said with the establishment of the Enterpreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry in 1995 and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in 2001, the government had put in place the financial and technicalsupport for women and their businesses.
"Financial assistance schemes are also provided by various agencies to facilitate more women to become entrepreneurs. It is clear that the inclusion of women into mainstream economic activities is no longer an option, but aprerequisite for a sustained economic development," he said.
-- BERNAMA
