Christmas Leave 2025 Malaysia: How Many Days, Which States & HR Planning Tips

Christmas is one of Malaysia’s major year-end celebrations, and during this festive period, many employees will take annual leave to travel, spend time with family, or attend various celebrations.

For employers and HR teams, understanding how Christmas leave works is important to prevent understaffing, maintain smooth operations, and manage employee expectations effectively.

You’ll find a simple breakdown of how many Christmas holidays there are in 2025, which states observe them, what leave patterns to expect from employees, and easy tips to help employers plan manpower during the festive week.

Why Employers Should Prepare for Christmas Leave

Every year, many employees will request annual leave before or after the Christmas public holiday. For 2025, Christmas falls on Thursday, 25 December 2025.

This creates a high chance of employees taking:

Friday (26 December) off
Long weekend leave from 24–28 December
Extended leave until New Year

Employers should expect:

A higher number of annual leave applications
More employees travelling
Scheduling and manpower challenges if not managed early

Preparing early allows HR to plan shift coverage, approve leave fairly, and keep operations running smoothly.

How Many Days of Christmas Leave in Malaysia?

In Malaysia, Christmas Day (25 December) is a national public holiday. That means the mandatory Christmas public holiday is 1 day for most states.

However, Sabah also observes Christmas Eve (24 December) as a public holiday, making it 2 days there.

State	Public Holidays for Christmas 2025
Most states in Malaysia	1 day (25 December)
Sabah	2 days (24–25 December)

Which States Observe Christmas Public Holiday in 2025

All states and federal territories in Malaysia observe Christmas Day (25 December) as a public holiday:

Johor
Kedah
Kelantan
Melaka
Negeri Sembilan
Pahang
Perak
Perlis
Penang
Sabah
Sarawak
Selangor
Terengganu
Kuala Lumpur
Putrajaya
Labuan

Sabah only also observes Christmas Eve (24 December) as a public holiday.

Tips for Employers: How to Prepare for Christmas Leave 2025

Ask Employees to Apply Early (Ideally Before 5 December)

Encourage your team to submit annual leave applications early so managers can plan manpower properly and avoid last-minute issues.

Update Your Company Holiday Calendar

Make sure your internal calendar clearly shows:

25 December (nationwide holiday)
24 December (Sabah only)

Share the updated calendar with all employees.

Plan Manpower for the Christmas Week

Many employees may take long leave between 24–28 December. HR should start planning for:

Shift rotation
Backup employees
Temporary staff (if needed)
Reduced operations for non-critical tasks

Set Up a Clear Leave Approval Process

To ensure fairness and consistency:

Approve leave based on business needs
Ensure critical roles have backup coverage
Communicate blackout dates early (if any)

Balance Employee Leave With Business Demand

December is a peak month for industries like retail, logistics, hospitality, and customer support.

Remind employees to consider business needs when applying for leave.

FAQs

Is Christmas a public holiday in all Malaysian states?

Christmas is a national public holiday for most states, but not all. Employers should always check the official state holiday list for 2025.

How many days of leave do employees get for Christmas?

Only one public holiday on 25 December. Any extra days taken before or after Christmas are annual leave.

Can employers reject Christmas leave applications?

Yes, employers can reject if there are strong operational reasons. But it’s best to encourage staff to apply early to avoid conflict.

Do shift workers get public holiday benefits on Christmas?

Yes. If they work on 25 December, they are entitled to public holiday pay or replacement leave as stated in the Employment Act.

Does Christmas leave apply to remote or hybrid workers?

Yes. Public holidays apply to all employees regardless of work arrangement.

Need Part-Time Staff for Christmas 2025?

We’ll help you find the right part-timers who match your goals and support your team.

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