JOHOR BARU: Johor will revert to having weekends on Saturday and Sunday starting from January, making today the last Sunday that is a working day in the state.
This follows a decree by the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, in October, which stated that starting from Jan 1, the official weekend in the state will be Saturday and Sunday.
This decision was made after receiving consent and blessing from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and after considering the views of the Johor Islamic Religious Council.
The change is expected to impact both the public and private sectors, including adjustments to work schedules and business operations, after 10 years of Johor having shifted its weekend holiday to Friday and Saturday.
Three states that still maintain the weekend holiday on Friday and Saturday are Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu.
Checks in the city today found that work and school activities were operating as usual, with the majority of the public expressing their readiness to enjoy the weekend holiday on Saturday and Sunday starting next week.
An insurance agent, S. Reeshan, 33, said the change in the weekend holiday will stimulate economic activity, as more families will likely take vacations.
He said businesses on Saturdays and Sundays are expected to grow, particularly with the arrival of visitors from neighbouring countries that observe the same weekend holiday.
"For the government sector, there will be a notable impact. For example, if a husband works in the government sector and the wife works in the private sector, they will be able to spend quality time together with their family during the weekend. However, there will likely be traffic congestion, especially when visitors from Singapore come over the weekend. This calls for an urgent need to address potential traffic jams in border areas and on highways."
Trader Raendang Awang, 55, hoped the change would have a positive impact, although it would require some adjustment.
"Previously, Fridays were busy because of government-related matters. Now, we'll have to wait and see the effects over the next month or two. We accept the change and hope everything goes well," he said.
Lawyer Baharudin Bahrin, who is in his 40s, welcomed the alignment of the holidays, which makes managing court cases easier.
"When the holidays align with other states, work processes become smoother. There's also more time for family," he said.