Malaysia giving working moms a better maternity deal than the US

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak laid out his economic plans for next year in what he called the “mother of all budgets."

It could’ve easily been described as a budget for all mothers as well when he unveiled the BUdget 2018 proposals on Oct 27.

In a country where women are likely to drop out of the labor force when they have children, Najib is making a push to reverse that.

 He’s giving women a one-year tax exemption if they return to work after a break of two years or more, offering longer paid maternity leave for some and reducing working hours for others. In the U.S., there’s no national requirement for paid maternity leave.