Malaysian Public Holidays (Cuti Umum Malaysia) 2025

As a business owner in Malaysia, you’re probably used to hearing the phrase “Cuti Umum” at least once a month.

Public holidays are a regular part of Malaysian work culture and for employers, they bring both celebration and planning challenges.

Understanding how Malaysian public holidays (cuti umum Malaysia) work is necessary.

With over 20 public holidays a year depending on the state, payroll planning, staff scheduling, and compliance with labour laws can quickly get complicated.

Let’s go through how public holidays are structured, what you need to observe by law, and how to handle those last-minute holiday declarations.

2025 Malaysian Public Holiday Calendar (By State & Federal Holidays)

Date	Day	Holiday Name	States Observed
1 Jan	Wednesday	New Year’s Day	All states except Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis & Terengganu
29–30 Jan	Wed–Thu	Chinese New Year	All states
1 Feb	Saturday	Federal Territory Day	Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Putrajaya
11 Feb	Tuesday	Thaipusam	KL, Selangor, Penang, Johor, Perak, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan
31 Mar – 1 Apr	Mon–Tue	Hari Raya Aidilfitri	All states
1 May	Thursday	Labour Day	National
12 May	Monday	Wesak Day	National
2–3 Jun	Mon–Tue	Agong’s Birthday	National
7 Jun	Saturday	Hari Raya Haji	National
27 Jun	Friday	Awal Muharram	National
31 Aug	Sunday	National Day	National
1 Sep	Monday	Replacement for National Day	Most states
5 Sep	Friday	Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday	National
16 Sep	Tuesday	Malaysia Day	National
20 Oct	Monday	Deepavali	All states except Sarawak
25 Dec	Thursday	Christmas	National

Which Public Holidays Should the Organization Observe?

This is a common question for many business owners, especially those new to HR or payroll.

According to Section 60D of the Employment Act 1955, companies are required to give employees 11 paid public holidays each year.

Out of these, five holidays are compulsory, which are:

National Day (31 August)
Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (First Monday of June)
State Ruler’s Birthday or Federal Territory Day
Workers’ Day (1 May)
Malaysia Day (16 September)

Employers can choose the remaining six public holidays based on what fits their business – whether national or state holidays.

Just make sure to list these clearly in the employment contract, company handbook, or policy. That way, everyone knows what to expect for the year.

In reality, many bigger companies and public sector employers follow all public holidays, even more than the required eleven.

Doing this can help avoid confusion and make planning work schedules much easier.

What About Holidays Declared at Short Notice?

Sometimes, the government announces last-minute public holidays — we call these "cuti peristiwa" or occasional holidays.

They usually happen after big events, like a national sports win, election announcements, or royal celebrations.

If it’s a national holiday (under Section 8 of the Holidays Act 1951), all companies must follow it — even if it wasn’t part of the 11 holidays you originally picked.

But if it’s a state-level holiday (Section 9), only companies that already follow all public holidays need to observe it.

If your company sticks to the minimum 11-day rule, you don’t have to follow these sudden state holidays.

To keep things running smoothly, always check official news and have a backup plan ready in case your team is affected.

What If the Employee Can’t Get the Day Off?

Sometimes, business demands make it hard to give employees the day off on a public holiday especially for industries like retail, hospitality, logistics, and healthcare.

When this happens, employers have a few legal options.

If an employee has to work on a compulsory public holiday, the company must provide one of the following:

A replacement holiday on another day.
An extra day of annual leave.
Overtime pay based on public holiday rates.

It’s worth noting that if the public holiday is related to a general or state election, employers are expected to give reasonable time off for employees to go and vote.

This falls under Section 25 of the Election Offences Act 1954 and not giving time off for voting could result in a breach of the law.

FAQ

How many public holidays are employers required to give?

At least 11 days per year, including the 5 compulsory holidays.

Can an employer request employees to work on public holidays?

Yes, but the employee must be given either replacement leave, an extra annual leave day, or overtime pay at public holiday rates.

What happens if a public holiday falls on a weekend?

If the holiday is part of the chosen 11 days, the employer must replace it with another day off. This doesn’t apply to all states or sectors, refer to your company’s policy for clarity.

Do part-time employees get public holiday entitlements?

Yes, but it depends on the terms of their employment. Part-timers are entitled to public holiday benefits if they fall on a scheduled workday and the employee meets the minimum service requirement.

Can companies swap public holidays with replacement leave?

Yes, with notice and agreement. For example, a company might replace a weekday holiday with a different date that suits business needs better.

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