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Malaysia has 14 national public holidays in 2026 — observed nationwide or near-nationwide — made up of 8 religious holidays spanning Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, 1 cultural festival, 1 royal occasion, 2 national days and 2 international observances. Several span two days or carry a replacement day when they fall on a Sunday, and individual states gazette further holidays on top. Below is the official national list with dates, the day of the week, and the type of each holiday.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Thursday | New Year's Day | International |
| 17 Feb | Tuesday | Chinese New Year (Day 1) | Cultural |
| 18 Feb | Wednesday | Chinese New Year (Day 2) | Cultural |
| 7 Mar | Saturday | Nuzul Al-Quran | Religious |
| 20 Mar | Friday | Hari Raya Aidilfitri (additional, declared) | Religious |
| 21 Mar | Saturday | Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Day 1) | Religious |
| 22 Mar | Sunday | Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Day 2) | Religious |
| 23 Mar | Monday | Hari Raya Aidilfitri (replacement) | Observed |
| 1 May | Friday | Labour Day | International |
| 27 May | Wednesday | Hari Raya Haji (Aidiladha) | Religious |
| 31 May | Sunday | Wesak Day | Religious |
| 1 Jun | Monday | Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday | Royal |
| 2 Jun | Tuesday | Wesak Day (replacement) | Observed |
| 17 Jun | Wednesday | Awal Muharram (Islamic New Year) | Religious |
| 25 Aug | Tuesday | Maulidur Rasul (Prophet's Birthday) | Religious |
| 31 Aug | Monday | Merdeka Day (National Day) | National |
| 16 Sep | Wednesday | Malaysia Day | National |
| 8 Nov | Sunday | Deepavali | Religious |
| 9 Nov | Monday | Deepavali (replacement) | Observed |
| 25 Dec | Friday | Christmas Day | Religious |
Official Source:
Federal public holidays are gazetted under the Holidays Act 1951 (Act 369) by the Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia, with Sabah and Sarawak holidays set under their respective State Holidays Ordinances. Islamic holiday dates are confirmed by JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia).
Every region, and country, operates differently when it comes to Public Holidays. When we talk about Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Malaysia, it feels like a grand celebration - people are on leave and enjoying their personal time. All this is bound to bring changes in attendance, increased leave requests, and varied working arrangements which impacts payroll accuracy and leave processes for both employers and employees.
While all of these issues can impact adversely, if enterprises are well-prepared and rely on technology instead of human intervention; it will help in aligning pay cycles, overtime, and statutory requirements without disruption. This not just eases processes for the employer but aids employees while providing clarity on leave entitlements, pay calculations, and timely compensation during a high-expectation period.
Let HONO handle holidays, leave, and payroll in one place, across regions and languages.
14 national public holidays in 2026 (around 20 days once second days and Sunday replacements are counted), plus state-specific holidays. The statutory minimum employers must grant is 11 paid public holidays.
Yes. Each state gazettes its own holidays (Sultan/Governor birthdays, Thaipusam, Federal Territory Day, and more), and a few national holidays aren't observed everywhere — New Year's Day is skipped in five states and Deepavali is not a holiday in Sarawak.
Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Haji, Awal Muharram and Maulidur Rasul follow the Islamic lunar calendar and are confirmed by JAKIM moon-sighting, so they may shift by a day.
