Sarawak Public Holidays 2025: Key Dates for Employers

Public holidays are key points in the yearly calendar in every country. They determine when staff will take leave, when part-time help might be needed, and when costs like overtime may rise.

This article will share the 2025 Malaysia Sarawak public holiday list and explain how to manage work schedules effectively around them.

Key Public Holidays in Sarawak for 2025

Planning Work Schedules Around Public Holidays

A smooth year starts with a holiday map and a staffing game plan. Below is a simple, employer-first approach.

Build a Workable Holiday Calendar

Employers in Sarawak should start by mapping out the year’s key clusters of public holidays. For example:

• Chinese New Year on 29–30 January may trigger leave requests on the following Friday

• Hari Raya Puasa on 31 March–1 April creates a two-day break at the start of the week

• Gawai Dayak combined with the King’s Birthday from 1–3 June stretches across three days

• Merdeka replacement holiday on 1 September turns the weekend into an extended break. 

• Malaysia Day on 16 September, which falls on a Tuesday, also needs to be considered for scheduling.

By marking these dates early, employers can set blackout periods for critical teams, publish the calendar well in advance, and allocate fair leave quotas by department.

Design Staffing for Service Continuity

Once the calendar is in place, the next step is to design a staffing plan that keeps operations smooth during long breaks. 

Splitting employees into A and B groups across holiday weeks ensures coverage without overloading one team. Anchor shifts, such as opening, peak, and closing, should be assigned ahead of time so everyone knows their responsibilities. 

Cross-training staff on simple but essential tasks, like handling cashier duties, packing orders, or managing customer queries, provides flexibility to fill any last-minute gaps and strengthens the overall resilience of the team.

Bring in Part-Timers for Festive Peaks

Festive seasons like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, and Gawai often bring heavier demand, making it practical to hire part-timers. Employers should begin recruitment three to four weeks in advance to secure manpower before the rush.

Keeping onboarding short and clear, using a checklist, a one-page SOP, and a quick system introduction, helps part-timers get up to speed. 

Fixed shift templates such as 10 am–4 pm or 4 pm–10 pm make scheduling easier, while assigning them to focused roles like queue handling, stock running, or live chat triage keeps their contribution effective without lengthy training.

Keep Overtime Costs Under Control

Overtime must be managed carefully during holiday periods. A solid base roster is the best way to prevent excessive last-minute overtime, but when extra hours are needed, employers should implement a simple request-and-approval system. 

Monitoring overtime daily helps track both costs and employee fatigue. Capping hours per person reduces burnout risk, while offering time-off-in-lieu can balance workloads for those putting in extra time. 

Most importantly, employers should communicate peak days in advance so employees can prepare and return to work well-rested after the festive period.

FAQs

Do Sarawak public holidays differ from other Malaysian states?

Yes. Sarawak observes state occasions that do not appear in every state’s calendar.

Gawai Dayak (1–3 Jun), Sarawak Day (22 Jul), and the Governor of Sarawak’s Birthday (11 Oct). National days such as Labour Day, Malaysia Day, and Christmas are common across Malaysia, while Sarawak’s list in this guide reflects the state calendar in the material.

How do I calculate pay for employees who work on a Sarawak public holiday?

Use your employment contracts and company policy as the first reference, and apply the applicable rules under the Sarawak labour framework. A simple way to structure payroll is:

• If not required to work: pay the public holiday entitlement for that day (as per contract/policy).

• If required to work: pay the day’s wages for the public holiday plus the public-holiday work premium stated in your policy or the law, and add overtime for hours beyond normal daily hours.

Keep a clear paper trail: duty roster, approval to work, clock-in records, and payroll calculation notes.

Can I substitute a Sarawak state holiday with another day?

If business needs make closure difficult, many employers set a replacement off-day through a written notice and a published roster. Keep it consistent with your policy and get employee acknowledgement in advance.

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

The next working day is commonly treated as a paid holiday. You can see this pattern in 2025: National Day falls on Sunday, 31 Aug, and the calendar lists Monday, 1 Sep as a Public Holiday.

Are part-time workers entitled to public holiday pay?

Yes, if their contract and work schedule place them on duty on that public holiday. Pay is typically pro-rated to hours worked, following your policy and the applicable rules. If a part-timer is not scheduled that day, holiday pay usually does not apply.

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