Johor would revert its weekend to Saturday and Sunday effective 1st January 2025 as announced by His Royal Highness, Tunku Ismail, The Regent of Johor through his official Facebook page.
“Following consent and blessing from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and after considering the views of the Johor Islamic Religious Council (JAINJ), I would like to announce that starting 1st January 2025, Johor’s weekend days off will be changed to Saturday and Sunday,” said Tunku Ismail.
The change on the state’s rest days was discussed and studied by the Johor state government in order to allow seamless business and Friday prayers allotted time.
“I have decreed the Johor Menteri Besar Dato’ Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Johor Mufti to discuss and study every angle and aspect regarding this matter. I hope that the private sector, the government and related parties allow sufficient time and space for Muslim workers to perform Friday prayers accordingly,” said Tunku Ismail.
In 2013, the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, announced the change of the state’s rest days to Friday and Saturday, from Saturday and Sunday previously, effective 1st January 2014 during the investiture ceremony in conjunction with his 55th birthday, as a mark of respect for Friday’s importance to Muslims and as recognition of Islam as the state’s religion.
He emphasised that this was a reversion to the state’s traditional weekend, which had been in place since Johor was an unfederated Malay state. The schedule was changed to Saturday and Sunday in 1994.
In June 2022, Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said that the state government would reconsider weekend rest days. He stated that a decision would be announced following a thorough review.
In August of the same year, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar stated that he will not rush to decide whether to alter the state’s weekend back to Saturday and Sunday.
