List of Public Holidays in Malaysia for HR Planning Guide

Malaysia recognises a wide range of public holidays, reflecting the country’s cultural and religious diversity. While employees see them as rest days, employers carry legal obligations to provide paid holidays and manage staffing needs effectively.

What are Public Holidays in Malaysia?

Public holidays are days officially declared by the government where employees are entitled to paid time off, unless required to work under special conditions.

Holidays fall under two main categories:

National (federal) holidays: observed across the country, such as National Day and Malaysia Day.
State-specific holidays: recognised only within certain states (e.g., Thaipusam in Selangor, or Hari Gawai in Sarawak).

The regulation of holidays comes under the Holidays Act 1951 (Act 369) and Section 60D of the Employment Act 1955, which outline the minimum public holiday entitlements and employer responsibilities.

List of Public Holidays in Malaysia

Below are the list of public holidays in Malaysia:

Federal (National) Public Holidays

These are declared under the Holidays Act 1951 and observed nationwide. Dates may be fixed or based on the lunar/Islamic calendar.

Employees must have 11 paid holidays per year, including the 5 compulsory ones (National Day, Malaysia Day, Labour Day, Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Birthday, and Ruler/State Governor’s Birthday or Federal Territory Day).

Holiday	Date	Notes
New Year’s Day	1 January	Not observed in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu
Labour Day	1 May	Compulsory holiday
National Day (Hari Merdeka)	31 August	Compulsory holiday
Malaysia Day	16 September	Compulsory holiday
Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Birthday	June (date varies)	Compulsory holiday
Chinese New Year (2 days)	Jan/Feb (lunar calendar)	Nationwide, except some states may only observe 1 day
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (2 days)	Based on Hijri calendar	Dates announced annually
Hari Raya Aidiladha	Based on Hijri calendar	Dates announced annually
Awal Muharram (Maal Hijrah)	Based on Hijri calendar	Nationwide
Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (Maulidur Rasul)	Based on Hijri calendar	Nationwide
Wesak Day	May (Buddhist lunar calendar)	Nationwide
Deepavali	Oct/Nov (Hindu calendar)	Not observed in Sarawak
Christmas Day	25 December	Nationwide

Examples of State Public Holidays

State holidays are declared by each state government and apply only within that state.

Holiday	Date	States Observed
Thaipusam	Jan/Feb (Hindu calendar)	Selangor, Penang, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya
Hari Gawai	1–2 June	Sarawak
Kaamatan Festival	30–31 May	Sabah, Labuan
Good Friday	Mar/Apr (Christian calendar)	Sabah, Sarawak
Awal Ramadan	Varies (Hijri calendar)	Johor, Kedah, Melaka
Nuzul Al-Quran	Ramadan 17 (Hijri calendar)	All states except Sarawak
Sultan of Johor’s Birthday (Hari Hol)	Varies	Johor
Federal Territory Day	1 February	Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Labuan

Employer Obligations Under the Holidays Act 1951

Employers must comply with the following:

Paid holiday entitlement at least 11 paid public holidays per year, including the 5 compulsory days.
Employers may substitute any gazetted holiday with another day, but must inform employees in advance.
Overtime and pay rates
- Work on a public holiday: 2x daily wage in addition to the holiday pay.
- Overtime is required on a public holiday: 3x hourly rate for hours worked.
- For shift/essential services, employers should clearly outline substitution or extra pay in contracts.

Failure to comply can result in disputes and penalties under the Employment Act 1955.

How Public Holidays Affect Business Operations

Public holidays often coincide with Malaysia’s festive seasons, such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, or Gawai. This has operational implications:

Scheduling Staff

Retail and hospitality may need extra manpower during festive peaks, while offices may shut down.

Shift Workers and Continuous Operations

Factories, hospitals, and essential services must prepare rosters in advance to ensure coverage.

Payroll Considerations

HR teams must calculate additional pay for staff working on holidays correctly to comply with the law.

Public Holidays and Leave Management

Public holidays frequently align with weekends or employee leave days. Plan carefully to:

Link Public Holidays with Annual Leave

Many employees take “long weekends” by applying for leave before or after a public holiday. Employers should anticipate higher leave requests.

Manpower Planning

HR can use a holiday calendar to manage workloads, avoid understaffing, and ensure business continuity.

Fair Allocation

For industries that cannot close, rotate holiday shifts so all employees get equal access to public holiday rest days.

FAQs

How many public holidays are employees entitled to in Malaysia?

At least 11 paid holidays per year, including the 5 compulsory holidays under the Employment Act.

Can employers replace a public holiday with another day?

Yes, employers may substitute holidays, but employees must be notified in advance.

What is the pay rate if employees work on a public holiday?

They receive their normal pay + double pay for the day. If working overtime, they earn 3x their hourly rate.

Are state holidays compulsory for all employees?

No. State holidays apply only in the states concerned. Employers outside those states are not required to observe them.

What happens if a public holiday falls on a rest day?

The following working day will be treated as the replacement holiday.

Do foreign workers get the same public holiday benefits?

Yes. Foreign workers are covered under the same public holiday entitlements as local employees.

Hire the Right People, Faster

Connect with top local talent through AJobThing and get your job ad seen on Maukerja, Ricebowl, and Epicareer in one simple step.