ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor is studying a proposal to change the public sector working period to only four-and-a-half days a week.
Menteri Besar, Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, said this is due to the reintroduction of weekend days off beginning January 1, 2025.
He said to achieve this, the state government is currently working on improving productivity and boosting service delivery.
This, he said, includes empowering digital services by adding more transactions which can be done online.
"The state government will also extend operational hours for counter services in critical areas, including during the break period of between 1pm and 2pm.
"We will also streamline counter operational hours in all state, federal agencies and departments, as well as local councils.
"If these efforts are successful, we will consider the proposal to amend the working hours for the civil service to four-and-a-half days without reducing the working hours.
"However, this will require the consent of the Regent of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail and the blessing of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim," he said while tabling the state's 2025 budget at the Bangunan Sultan Ismail, here today.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) currently has the shortest working period per week at four-and-a-half days, which began in 2022.
In the UAE, workdays from Monday to Thursday are from 7.30am to 3.30pm while on Fridays, they are 7.30am to 12 noon.
Its civil servants also have the option of working from home on Fridays and can arrange their work hours for flexibility.