To better support their families, women employed in public services can have the option of working shorter or more flexible hours.

According to Free Malaysia Today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reportedly stated that reduced pay rates might result from the shortened working hours.

Anwar used the example of a woman who chose to work four hours as opposed to eight hours to five hours. The lady may have a lower pay rate. This proposal will be taken into consideration as an aspect of the review of a potential new civil service pay plan.

Speaking on March 8, 2024, at the International Women's Day Celebration, Anwar announced that he will talk about the issue with the director-general of public services and the chief secretary to the government.

If the proposal is implemented, Anwar said, Malaysia will be the first nation in the world to provide female civil servants with this kind of flexibility. He clarified that many women feel under pressure to give up their jobs to take care of their families, therefore it's important to go outside the box.