By Asmahanim Amir
Pix Shahidan Saidi

PUTRAJAYA, 25 May 2015 – All employers, whether in the public or private sector may be required to provide day care centres or crèches at the  workplace to attract more mothers to resume their careers.

Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak said having mandatory crèches at the workplace would help the country achieve the 59 per cent target of females in the workforce.

“We hope the government measures to provide nurseries at the workplace would provide some relief for women who have to work,” Najib said at the singing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Ceremony between the National University of Malaysia (UKM) and the Women’s Development, Professional and Entrepreneurial Advisory Office (KIW) at the Prime Minister’s Department, here on 22nd May.

KIW was represented by its advisor, Dato’ Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil while UKM Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali signed for the university. Also present was Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Najib said some of the key initiatives set out in the 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK-11) which he had tabled in parliament on May 21, is the role of women.

“Among them are the need to achieve 30 percent women at decision-making levels in the public service,” he said.

Najib said Malaysia had already achieved 34 percent women with key positions in the public sector (Jusa) C.

“Now, we are trying to put qualified women to sit as members of the Board of Directors in the private sector because we want them to contribute their expertise in the operations of  companies,” he added.

He said KIW under the Prime Minister’s Department has trained 900 female employees with the potential to become members of the Board of Directors.

Apart from that, the government also wants to see women venture into entrepreneurship and find success not only domestically, but also further afield.

“We want to upgrade small and medium entrepreneurship (SME) to a higher level and to be a regional and global champion,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shahrizat said the MoU is to establish the basis of KIW’s initiatives of cooperation and collaboration through smart partnerships to spur entrepreneurs and professional women to a higher level by giving exposure to concepts, techniques, and the latest innovative ideologies.

“The cooperation between KIW-UKM will focus on the work of reviewing and identifying appropriate methods in advancing thinking capacity and entrepreneurship.

“Among them are planning and formulating programmes and the latest training for the target group through module development, community service, research, consultancy and a range of related fields,” she said.

She said the success of RMK-11 will be more meaningful if women entrepreneurs and professionals carry out their duties and responsibilities.

“I hope feedback to give the best input will be forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Department,” she added.