KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — A Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) proposal that the government enact a law to ban prospective employers from asking women at job interviews if they are pregnant has found traction among women's rights activists.

Tenaganita director Aegile Fernandez said it was not illegal for a woman to get pregnant, adding that the controversy could be due to gender discrimination.

“Pregnancy is natural and it is inhumane to discriminate against women just because they are carrying a child,” she said.

“Women should not shy off and hide their pregnancy. I strongly wish there is a law to protect this right. Are we not allowed to work when we are pregnant?” she said, adding that there should be no fuss over employing pregnant women.

Fernandez said most organisations were afraid to hire pregnant women as they did not want to pay them when they went on maternity leave.

MTUC secretary-general N. Gopal Kishnan had said on Wednesday that it should be made illegal for prospective employers to ask women if they are pregnant.

Women’s Aid Organisation advocacy officer Lainey Lau, agreed with the proposal, saying employers should not be allowed to ask women questions that could lead to gender discrimination.

This included things such as age, religion and whether they are pregnant or planning to have a child.

“Asking questions like these is a bad practice and in our opinion, organisations that do so may be male-dominated,” she said.

Lau said there was a lack of appreciation of what a woman could do to contribute to an organisation.

She said there should be a nationwide campaign to address discriminatory attitudes towards pregnant women.

“People need to stop having a prejudicial attitude towards women as we have equal rights to work and the right to  family life,” she said.

Women’s rights activist Ivy Josiah said questions involving pregnancy should be banned during job interviews.

“Among the questions that should be banned during an interview are 'Are you pregnant?', 'When are you getting pregnant?', How many kids are you planning to have?,” she said.

“These are personal questions and I feel lawmakers should redefine the term discrimination based on wages, working hours, promotion and the position of women in an organisation."