ISKANDAR PUTERI: In line with Johor’s weekend shift next year, both the public and private sectors are required to give their employees a two-hour break on Fridays.

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said this was to allow Muslims to perform their Friday prayers.

“The state government has decided that the private sector should extend their current 1 hour 30 minute break time on Friday to two hours.

“In line with the weekend shift, government departments and agencies in Johor will also realign its Friday break time accordingly,” he said when tabling the Johor Budget 2025 during the state assembly at Kota Iskandar on Thursday (Nov 21).

To further ensure male Muslim students perform their Friday prayers, the state Education Department and Islamic Religious Department would work with the Mufti Department to add surau and halls where it is suitable.

“This is to provide adequate space for the Friday prayers to be carried out in the school area,” he added.

Onn Hafiz expressed confidence that changing the weekend from Friday to Saturday would positively impact the state’s economy without sacrificing the sanctity of the religion.

He said this will also provide families with more time to plan their weekend activities together.

In October, Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim decreed that starting Jan 1, 2025, the state’s weekend off days will be changed to Saturday and Sunday.

This will conclude an 11-year period in which Friday and Saturday were designated as the official rest days.

Johor stands out as the only state in Malaysia where most private sectors, including commercial banks, observe the Saturday-Sunday weekend, while the government services follow the Friday-Saturday schedule.

States such as Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah observe Friday-Saturday weekends for both the government and private sectors.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/11/21/johor-to-extend-friday-break-to-two-hours