Baby sounds in Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR: There was an unusual presence of babies in Parliament today... and they were from the Opposition.
Five MPs, of which four were men, brought along their kids to raise the issue of childcare centres at workplaces, including Parliament.
Teo Nie Ching (DAP-Kulai), who brought her two-month-old baby Edger, said MPs sometimes have to sit through the proceedings till late evenings or nights and have to leave the babies with babysitters for longer hours.
"It is not fair to leave the children at babysitters for long hours as they would need to rest as well and having a childcare centre is in line with what the government has been saying all this while.
"I brought my second baby to Parliament to reinforce what I raised last year," she told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.
However she said only 19 childcare centres were added in the public sector in 2012 and 2013.
"At this rate, it will be 50 years before we have a childcare centre in all government agencies," Teo said.
Pointing at the male MPs, Teo said this issue is not confined only to working mothers but also working fathers since parenting is not just the mother's responsibility/.
Steven Sim (DAP-Bukit Mertajam), Wong Chen (PKR-Kelana Jaya), Ng Wei Aik (DAP-Tanjong) and Zairil Khir Johari (DAP-Bukit Bendera) all brought their children in support of the call for the childcare centre in Parliament.
In 2012, Teo brought her first baby, Jinger, to Parliament and held a similar press conference.