Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced yesterday that an additional public holiday for Hari Raya Aidilfitri will be given. This means that if Friday, April 21 is the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Monday, April 24 must be observed as a paid public holiday. Conversely, if Saturday, 22 April is the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Friday, April 21 must be observed as a paid public holiday. This means that regardless of whether the first day Hari Raya Aidilfitri falls on Friday, April 21 or Saturday, April 22, both April 21 and April 24 will be public holidays.
 
Under Section 8 of the Holidays Act 1951 (“HA”), the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint a day to be observed as a public holiday in addition to any of the public holidays declared under the First Schedule of the HA. Employers are required to observe any public holiday declared under Section 8 of the HA.
 
For employers who intend to grant their employees another day as paid public holiday in substitution of the public holiday on Friday, April 21 or Monday, April 24 (i.e. on any one of these days declared as the public holiday under section 8 of the HA), this is permissible under Section 60D(1A) of the Employment Act 1955.