The HR Guide to Malaysian Public Holidays
Disclaimer
Malaysian public holidays are subject to change, including sudden “cuti peristiwa” announcements. This guide is for reference only.
With brioHR, all public holidays are automatically updated and synced to your HR system, with alerts sent directly to your team.
Key Takeaways
- Navigating Malaysia’s complex web of federal and state public holidays does not have to be an administrative bottleneck for your HR department.
- By proactively aligning your company's leave policies with statutory requirements, you safeguard compliance while maintaining operational continuity.
- Embracing agility during sudden holiday announcements (cuti peristiwa) demonstrates organizational empathy and strengthens overall employee trust.
- Ultimately, modernizing your leave management with automated HR tools transforms holiday tracking from a tedious chore into a seamless, strategic advantage.
Good HR is about making sure that the company has the right culture to thrive, and managing time off fairly is a baseline for that trust.
We in Malaysia are ‘blessed’ with a bounty of public holidays. Depending on the state, organizations can observe anywhere from 21 to 25 days of public holiday per year.
And that’s not counting the holidays that are declared by the federal and state governments, such as the recent holidays for the 2023 state elections. Furthermore, it’s not uncommon for such holidays to be announced at short notice. Such holidays are known as ‘cuti peristiwa’ or ‘occasional holidays’.
As the public holidays in Malaysia can get confusing, we present to you this guide on when and how Malaysian public holidays work.
The Law on Malaysian Public Holidays
Two main Acts affect which public holidays employees may take:
- Employment Act 1955.
- Holidays Act 1951.
Holidays in the Employment Act
Section 60D of the Employment Act 1955 defines which holidays employees are entitled to.
- (1) Every employee shall be entitled to a paid holiday at his ordinary rate of pay on the following days in any one calendar year:
- (a) on eleven of the gazetted public holidays, five of which shall be—
- (i) the National Day;
- (ii) the Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong;
- (iii) the Birthday of the Ruler or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, as the case may be, of the State in which the employee wholly or mainly works under his contract of service, or the Federal Territory Day, if the employee wholly or mainly works in the Federal Territory;
- (iv) the Workers’ Day; and
- (v) Malaysia Day; and
- (b) on any day appointed as a public holiday for that particular year under section 8 of the Holidays Act 1951.
- (a) on eleven of the gazetted public holidays, five of which shall be—
Holidays in the Holidays Act
Sections 8 and 9 of the Holidays Act 1951 define how cuti peristiwa or occasional holidays are declared.
- Section 8:
- The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette or in such other manner as he thinks fit, appoint, in respect of Peninsular Malaysia, or the Federal Territory or, after consultation with the State Authority, in respect of a State, a day to be observed as a public holiday or a bank holiday in addition to, or in substitution for, any of the days mentioned in the Schedules and thereupon this Act shall, in Peninsular Malaysia, or in the Federal Territory, or in the State in respect of which a day is appointed to be observed as a holiday as aforesaid, be applicable to such day in the same manner as if the said day had been mentioned in the First Schedule or the Second Schedule, as the case may be.
- Section 9:
- (1) The State Authority may, by notification in the Gazette or in such other manner as it thinks fit, appoint a day to be observed as a State public holiday in any such State, and such day shall, except as hereinafter provided, be observed in such State as a public holiday.
- (2) The Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, or in such other manner as he thinks fit, appoint a day to be observed as a Federal Territory public holiday in the Federal Territory, and such day shall, except as hereinafter provided, be observed in the Federal Territory as a public holiday.
Which Public Holidays Should the Organization Observe?
This is governed by Section 60D of the Employment Act 1955 as shown above.
As a minimum, companies should observe 11 days of public holidays. The five compulsory holidays include:
- National Day (31 August)
- Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
- Birthday of the Ruler or the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or the Federal Territory Day (varies by state, 1 February for Federal Territory Day)
- Workers’ Day (1 May)
- Malaysia Day (16 September)
*Dates are as of 2026.
In addition, the company needs to observe six more public holidays chosen by the company. These can be any combination of national and state holidays as defined by the Government.
Despite this, many companies choose to observe all public holidays, as do schools and the Malaysian civil service. This way, it makes administrative matters easier.
Whether the company chooses to observe the minimum amount of public holidays or all holidays, it should be spelled out in the company policy, employee handbook, or employment contract.
What About Holidays Declared at Short Notice?
This is what every employer dreads – holidays declared a day or two prior by either the Federal or State Governments.
For Malaysia-wide public holidays declared under section 8 of the Holidays Act 1951, it is compulsory for the company to observe it, regardless of their public holiday observance policy. An example of this would be the additional holiday declared by the Government in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri earlier this year.
As for state holidays declared under section 9:
- Companies that observe the minimum 11 days of public holiday do not need to observe it.
- Companies that observe all public holidays will need to observe it.
An example of a section 9 holiday would be the holidays declared due to the 2023 state elections held in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu.
What If the Employee Can’t Get the Day Off?
In case employees can’t get the day off for compulsory holidays declared on short notice, employers have three options:
- Replace the public holiday on another day as determined by the company.
- Give the employee an additional day of annual leave.
- Pay the employee overtime pay at public holiday rates.
However, for public holidays declared for the purposes of a general or state election, employers must still give employees reasonable time off from work to cast their vote. Otherwise, the employer will be in breach of section 25 of the Election Offences Act 1954.
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Public Holidays in Malaysia for 2026
Keeping track of public holidays is essential for planning company operations, payroll, and employee wellbeing. To help you stay ahead, here’s a complete list of Malaysia’s public holidays for 2026, including both national and major state holidays.
| Date | Day | Holiday | States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Thu | New Year's Day | National except Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis & Terengganu |
| 14 Jan | Wed | YDPB Negeri Sembilan's Birthday | Negeri Sembilan |
| 17 Jan | Sat | Israk and Mikraj | Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis & Terengganu |
| 18 Jan | Sun | Israk and Mikraj Holiday | Terengganu |
| 1 Feb | Sun | Thaipusam | Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Putrajaya & Selangor |
| 1 Feb | Sun | Federal Territory Day | Kuala Lumpur, Labuan & Putrajaya |
| 2 Feb | Mon | Thaipusam Holiday | Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Putrajaya & Selangor |
| 3 Feb | Tue | Federal Territory Day Holiday | Kuala Lumpur, Labuan & Putrajaya |
| 17 Feb | Tue | Chinese New Year | National |
| 18 Feb | Wed | Chinese New Year Holiday | National |
| 19 Feb | Thu | Awal Ramadan | Johor & Kedah |
| 20 Feb | Fri | Independence Declaration Day | Melaka |
| 4 Mar | Wed | Installation of Sultan Terengganu | Terengganu |
| 7 Mar | Sat | Nuzul Al-Quran | National except Johor, Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Sabah & Sarawak |
| 8 Mar | Sun | Nuzul Al-Quran Holiday | Kelantan & Terengganu |
| 20 Mar | Fri | Hari Raya Aidilfitri Holiday | National |
| 21 Mar | Sat | Hari Raya Aidilfitri | National |
| 22 Mar | Sun | Hari Raya Aidilfitri Holiday | National |
| 23 Mar | Mon | Sultan of Johor's Birthday | Johor |
| 23 Mar | Mon | Hari Raya Aidilfitri Holiday | National except Kedah |
| 24 Mar | Tue | Hari Raya Aidilfitri Holiday | Johor |
| 30 Mar | Mon | Sabah Governor's Birthday | Sabah |
| 3 Apr | Fri | Good Friday | Sabah & Sarawak |
| 26 Apr | Sun | Sultan of Terengganu's Birthday | Terengganu |
| 1 May | Fri | Labour Day | National |
| 3 May | Sun | Labour Day Holiday | Kedah |
| 17 May | Sun | Raja Perlis' Birthday | Perlis |
| 18 May | Mon | Raja Perlis' Birthday Holiday | Perlis |
| 22 May | Fri | Hari Hol Pahang | Pahang |
| 26 May | Tue | Arafat Day | Kelantan & Terengganu |
| 27 May | Wed | Hari Raya Haji | National |
| 28 May | Thu | Hari Raya Haji Holiday | Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis & Terengganu |
| 30 May | Sat | Harvest Festival | Labuan & Sabah |
| 31 May | Sun | Wesak Day | National |
| 31 May | Sun | Harvest Festival Holiday | Labuan & Sabah |
| 1 Jun | Mon | Hari Gawai | Sarawak |
| 1 Jun | Mon | Agong's Birthday | National |
| 2 Jun | Tue | Hari Gawai Holiday | Sarawak |
| 2 Jun | Tue | Wesak Day Holiday | National except Kedah, Kelantan, Sarawak & Terengganu |
| 3 Jun | Wed | Harvest Festival Holiday | Labuan & Sabah |
| 3 Jun | Wed | Wesak Day Holiday | Sarawak |
| 4 Jun | Thu | Hari Gawai Holiday | Sarawak |
| 17 Jun | Wed | Awal Muharram | National |
| 21 Jun | Sun | Sultan of Kedah's Birthday | Kedah |
| 7 Jul | Tue | Georgetown World Heritage City Day | Penang |
| 11 Jul | Sat | Penang Governor's Birthday | Penang |
| 21 Jul | Tue | Hari Hol Almarhum Sultan Iskandar | Johor |
| 22 Jul | Wed | Sarawak Day | Sarawak |
| 31 Jul | Fri | Sultan of Pahang's Birthday | Pahang |
| 24 Aug | Mon | Melaka Governor's Birthday | Melaka |
| 25 Aug | Tue | Prophet Muhammad's Birthday | National |
| 31 Aug | Mon | Merdeka Day | National |
| 16 Sep | Wed | Malaysia Day | National |
| 29 Sep | Tue | Sultan of Kelantan's Birthday | Kelantan |
| 30 Sep | Wed | Sultan of Kelantan's Birthday Holiday | Kelantan |
| 10 Oct | Sat | Sarawak Governor's Birthday | Sarawak |
| 6 Nov | Fri | Sultan of Perak's Birthday | Perak |
| 8 Nov | Sun | Deepavali | National except Sarawak |
| 9 Nov | Mon | Deepavali Holiday | National except Kedah, Kelantan, Sarawak & Terengganu |
| 11 Dec | Fri | Sultan of Selangor's Birthday | Selangor |
| 24 Dec | Thu | Christmas Eve | Sabah |
| 25 Dec | Fri | Christmas Day | National |
| 27 Dec | Sun | Christmas Holiday | Kedah |
Malaysia Long Weekends 2026 (How to Maximise Your Leave)
Strategically planning annual leave around Malaysia 2026 public holiday dates is a valuable benefit for employees and allows HR to manage peak leave periods proactively.
| Holiday (National/Major) | Date (2026) | Leave Strategy | Potential Break |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese New Year | 17-18 Feb (Tue-Wed) | Take 16 Feb (Mon) off | 4-Day Weekend (Sat-Wed) |
| Hari Raya Aidilfitri | 21-22 Mar (Sat-Sun) | Falls on a weekend, expect a Mon/Tue holiday | 3-4 Day Weekend |
| Labour Day | 1 May (Fri) | No leave needed | 3-Day Weekend (Fri-Sun) |
| Hari Raya Haji | 27 May (Wed) | Take 26 May (Tue) OR 28 May (Thu) & 29 May (Fri) off | 4-5 Day Break |
| Agong's Birthday | 1 Jun (Mon) | No leave needed | 3-Day Weekend (Sat-Mon) |
| Merdeka Day | 31 Aug (Mon) | No leave needed | 3-Day Weekend (Sat-Mon) |
| Malaysia Day | 16 Sep (Wed) | Take 17 Sep (Thu) & 18 Sep (Fri) off | 5-Day Break (Wed-Sun) |
| Christmas Day | 25 Dec (Fri) | No leave needed | 3-Day Weekend (Fri-Sun) |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Public Holidays in Malaysia
- Provide a replacement holiday, or
- Grant an extra day of paid annual leave, or
- Pay overtime rates for work on a public holiday, as defined by the Employment Act.
- Which public holidays your company observes,
- How replacement days or overtime pay are handled, and
- How sudden government-declared holidays are managed.
Conclusion
- Navigating Malaysia’s complex web of federal and state public holidays does not have to be an administrative bottleneck for your HR department.
- By proactively aligning your company's leave policies with statutory requirements, you safeguard compliance while maintaining operational continuity.
- Embracing agility during sudden holiday announcements (cuti peristiwa) demonstrates organizational empathy and strengthens overall employee trust.
- Ultimately, modernizing your leave management with automated HR tools transforms holiday tracking from a tedious chore into a seamless, strategic advantage.
Manage Leave Easily with BrioHR
If you’re looking to manage leave policies for your business, brioHR helps you get started in a fuss-free, user-friendly way. brioHR’s leave function is mobile-ready so employees can apply for leave wherever they are, and managers can also approve them easily.
To learn more about how brioHR can transform your HR processes, check out BrioHR’s website or request a demo.
