🇲🇾 Malaysia public holidays 2026

Who decides these days

Malaysia has two layers of holidays.

The federal list is published each year by the Cabinet, Constitution and Inter-Governmental Relations Division (BKPP) of the Prime Minister's Department, usually the August before, and names twelve occasions; each state adds its own.

New Year's Day is not federal: Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu work that day.

The Holidays Act 1951 (Act 369) covers only the Peninsula; Sabah and Sarawak have their own laws, and Sarawak does not observe Deepavali.

Under section 3, a holiday on the weekly rest day moves to the next day, or the day after if that is already a holiday.

Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu keep a Friday–Saturday weekend (Johor returned to Saturday–Sunday in 2025), so a Sunday holiday is not replaced there, and Saturday holidays are not replaced anywhere else.

Eid dates are proclaimed by the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal after moon sighting and marked as subject to change.

For 2026 he set Aidilfitri on 21 March, and the Prime Minister added 20 March under section 8.

Private employers, under section 60D of the Employment Act 1955, owe only eleven paid holidays a year: National Day, the Agong's birthday, the state Ruler's birthday (or Federal Territory Day), Labour Day and Malaysia Day are compulsory; the employer chooses the other six.