Shopping malls, office buildings and other public places in Jakarta will have to provide new mothers with a "breast-feeding corner" under a proposed bylaw aimed at reversing Indonesia's low breast-feeding rates.

"The aim is to allow every infant to enjoy six months of exclusive breast milk and, thus, reduce the infant mortality rate," Jakarta Health Agency head Dien Emmawati told the Jakarta administration's news site beritajakarta.com.

Breast-feeding rates are woefully low in Indonesia, where a combination of folklore and heavy marketing from infant formula makers contributes to one of the lowest breast-feeding rates in the world.

Indonesia ranked 30 out of 33 countries listed in the 2010 World Breast-Feeding Trend Initiatives Report. Both Afghanistan and Malawi scored higher. The nation's low breast-feeding rates have been linked to childhood malnutrition and stunting in children younger than five.

Dien said she hopes the "breast-feeding corners" will encourage mothers to breast-feed their children exclusively for six months and until the age of two. Breast-feeding centers are currently available at some Jakarta government offices and hospitals.