Malaysia is a country of cultural diversity. With Hindus, Chinese and Muslims in the community, the country celebrates numerous national and regional holidays. As an employer, knowing about these holidays is crucial to planning your workflows. Adhering to national and local labour laws is crucial in a foreign land to prevent penalties and legal risks.
List of Public Holidays in Malaysia for 2025
The below table lists 17 national holidays scheduled for 2025. Note that if a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is officially taken as a holiday.
| Date and Day | Occasion |
| 01 Jan (Wed) | New Year’s Day |
| 29 Jan (Mon) | Chinese New Year |
| 30 Jan (Tue) | Chinese New Year rest day |
| 18 Mar (Tue) | Nuzul Al-Quran* |
| 31 Mar (Mon) | Hari Raya Aidilfitri |
| 01 Apr (Tue) | Hari Raya Aidilfitri Holiday |
| 01 May (Thu) | Labour Day |
| 12 May (Mon) | Wesak Day |
| 02 Jun (Mon) | Agong’s Birthday |
| 07 Jun (Sat) | Hari Raya Haji |
| 27 Jun (Fri) | Awal Muharram |
| 31 Aug (Sun) | Merdeka Day |
| 01 Sep (Mon) | Merdeka Day Holiday* |
| 05 Sep (Fri) | Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday |
| 16 Sep (Tue) | Malaysia Day |
| 20 Oct (Mon) | Deepavali* |
| 25 Dec (Thu) | Christmas Day |
*These holidays are not mandatory in certain states.
List of regional Malaysian holidays for 2025
There are several regional holidays in Malaysia. Note that these are paid public holidays.
| Date and Day | Occasion | Region |
| 14 Jan (Tue) | YDPB Negeri Sembilan’s Birthday | Negeri Sembilan |
| 27 Jan (Mon) | Israk and Mikraj | Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis & Terengganu |
| 1 Feb (Sat) | Federal Territory Day | Kuala Lumpur, Labuan & Putrajaya |
| 11 Feb (Tue) | Thaipusam | Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Putrajaya & Selangor |
| 20 Feb (Thu) | Independence Declaration Day | Melaka |
| 2 Mar (Sun) | Awal Ramadan | Johor & Kedah |
| 3 Mar (Mon) | Awal Ramadan Holiday | Johor |
| 4 Mar (Tue) | Installation of Sultan Terengganu | Terengganu |
| 23 Mar (Sun) | Sultan of Johor’s Birthday | Johor |
| 24 Mar (Mon) | Sultan of Johor’s Birthday Holiday | Johor |
| 2 Apr (Wed) | Hari Raya Aidilfitri Holiday | Melaka |
| 18 Apr (Fri) | Good Friday | Sabah & Sarawak |
| 26 Apr (Sat) | Sultan of Terengganu’s Birthday | Terengganu |
| 27 Apr (Sun) | Sultan of Terengganu’s Birthday Holiday | Terengganu |
| 17 May (Sat) | Raja Perlis’ Birthday | Perlis |
| 22 May (Thu) | Hari Hol Pahang | Pahang |
| 30 May (Fri) | Harvest Festival | Labuan & Sabah |
| 31 May (Sat) | Harvest Festival Holiday | Labuan & Sabah |
| 1 Jun (Sun) | Hari Gawai | Sarawak |
| 2 Jun (Mon) | Hari Gawai Holiday | Sarawak |
| 3 Jun (Tue) | Agong’s Birthday Holiday | Sarawak |
| 6 Jun (Fri) | Arafat Day | Kelantan & Terengganu |
| 8 Jun (Sun) | Hari Raya Haji Holiday | Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis & Terengganu |
| 22 Jun (Sun) | Sultan of Kedah’s Birthday | Kedah |
| 07 Jul (Mon) | Georgetown World Heritage City Day | Penang |
| 12 Jul (Sat) | Penang Governor’s Birthday | Penang |
| 22 Jul (Tue) | Sarawak Day | Sarawak |
| 30 Jul (Wed) | Sultan of Pahang’s Birthday | Pahang |
| 31 Jul (Thu) | Hari Hol Almarhum Sultan Iskandar | Johor |
| 07 Jul (Mon) | Melaka Governor’s Birthday | Melaka |
| 29 Sep (Mon) | Sultan of Kelantan’s Birthday | Kelantan |
| 30 Sep (Tue) | Sultan of Kelantan’s Birthday Holiday | Kelantan |
| 04 Oct (Sat) | Sabah Governor’s Birthday | Sabah |
| 11 Oct (Sat) | Sarawak Governor’s Birthday | Sarawak |
| 07 Nov (Fri) | Sultan of Perak’s Birthday | Perak |
| 11 Dec (Thu) | Sultan of Selangor’s Birthday | Selangor |
| 24 Dec (Wed) | Christmas Eve | Sabah |
Overtime in Malaysia
With so many holidays, managing work schedules and project deadlines can be challenging. Employees who work on paid public holidays are entitled to 1.5 times their regular pay. This applies to all modes of labour engagement – salaried, hourly, piece-work-based, and commissioned employees. It is also important to know that while most states have Saturday and Sunday as weekends off, Muslim-majority states take Friday and Saturday as their weekend.
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