Malaysia Airlines has come under fire for its policies on hiring women after a former stewardess sacked for falling pregnant lost a long-running legal battle to win her job back.

The national carrier sacked Beatrice Fernandez in 1991 after she refused to comply with company rules by resigning after becoming pregnant, the Sunday Star newspaper said.

After a nearly 14-year legal battle, the country's highest court rejected her petition to review the airline's working conditions, which have been amended to say stewardesses can only have two children and must resign at 45.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil urged the airline to review its "archaic" policies.

"It is long overdue. Although when women sign up as stewardesses they agree to have only two babies and retire at 45, it is archaic to stop them from having the number of babies they want as well as to tell them they cannot function after 45," she said.

She urged the company to review the practice to bring it into line with the national constitution, which outlaws discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, descent or gender.

Gender discrimination at its worst

Malaysian Trades Union Congress deputy secretary general Abdul Halim Mansor also said the airline's policy was gender discrimination at its worst.

Fernandez, who worked for Malaysia Airlines for 11 years before her sacking and now has three children, said despite her ordeal she would still return to the company.

"I love my job very much and would like to carry on to become chief stewardess," she was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail newspaper.