The state government’s first workplace nursing room in Johor is located at Kota Iskandar
A nursing room called ‘Mama Friendly’ was launched at Bangunan Dato’ Muhammad Ibrahim Munsyi, Kota Iskandar, Johor on 16th May 2016 and officiated by the wife of Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, YM Che’ Puan Khaleeda Bustamam. Managed by Darul Ta’zim Family Development Foundation (YPKDT), the room will benefit around 322 government female employees whom are currently lactating and expecting soon as a part of the state government’s effort in encouraging female workers to remain as part of the workforce.
Liow Cai Tung, Chairman of Tourism and Women, Family and Community Development said in her speech citing their research on working mothers in the Kota Iskandar area where the mothers has to inconveniently pump milk at the praying room, pantry and even in their cars. The establishment of the Mama Friendly room would be much more accommodating and give better privacy for the mothers.
Liow also calls for more departments, employers, corporations and agencies from both private and government sectors to join in the effort to establish a nursing room as well as being flexible with the time as it takes around 30 minutes to complete one pumping session. “The estimated budget to build Mama Friendly room is around RM20k and some vacant rooms in the workplace premises could also be refurbished into nursing rooms”, Liow further explained.
In the launching ceremony, 14 bodies comprising of private companies, government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which their premises would set up nursing rooms within one year starting from May 2019 until May 2020. The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Johor Chapter are among the several NGOs that signed up.
Che’ Puan Khaleeda said she hoped to see more nursing rooms in workplace that would be built all over the state.
