JPA director-general Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz said the district health office had the discretion to grant from 60 to 90 days of maternity leave for doctors, in view of the importance of their service.

“The approval of 60 days of maternity leave for medical officers under the Hulu Langat health office is subject to the department head’s consideration, taking into account the importance of the service to ensure that public health services remain unaffected,” he told Bernama.

Wan Ahmad Dahlan said a civil service circular outlined that civil servants were entitled to fully paid maternity leave with a total duration of 360 days over their service period.

The maximum maternity leave granted per birth was 90 days, and the minimum was 60, he said.