Kuala Lumpur: The Johor government has declared January 6 as a special replacement holiday for civil servants in the state for the transition back to a Saturday-Sunday weekend.
According to The Star, a circular was issued on December 23 by the Johor State Secretary Office’s Human Resources Management Department.
It explained that the holiday is meant to address the overlap between the last week of 2024 and the first week of 2025, during which civil servants will be required to work for six days, including Friday.
State investment, trade, consumer affairs, and human resources committee chairman Lee Ting Han confirmed the matter.
“The Johor government has agreed to fix Jan 6 as a special replacement holiday only for civil servants in the state in view of the transition period for the weekend shift,” he was quoted as saying.
Schools will also be closed on Jan 6, but the ongoing Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations schedule is unaffected.
The transition marks a significant shift for Johor, which reverted to a Friday-Saturday weekend in 2014 to align with Islamic practices.
The change back to a Saturday-Sunday weekend is seen as a move to standardize operations with other Malaysian states and improve synchronisation with the private sector.
This adjustment has been welcomed by many, particularly those working across sectors that adhere to a Saturday-Sunday weekend.
