KUALA LUMPUR – The Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Mahkota Ismail, said that those unhappy with Johor’s upcoming change to a Saturday-Sunday weekend, effective January 1, 2025, are welcome to relocate to states that still observe Friday-Saturday weekends.
The decision to return to a Saturday-Sunday weekend, announced on the official HRH Crown Prince of Johor Facebook page, was made in response to the people’s desire to spend more time with their families. The change is also expected to have a positive economic impact, aligning with ongoing development projects.
“With the consent and blessing of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and the views of the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ), the state government, government agencies and the people, I decided for Johor to return to having weekends off on Saturday and Sunday,” Tunku Mahkota Ismail, also known as TMJ, said in a post on his official Facebook page today.
“If anyone is unhappy for personal or political reasons, they are free to move to states still observing the Friday-Saturday weekend,” he added.
The move to reinstate the Saturday-Sunday weekend was driven by both social and economic factors. Experts have suggested that the shift could stimulate the local economy, as businesses align more easily with national and international markets, which typically observe a Monday-Friday workweek.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi earlier said that the adjustment would have a significant positive impact on the entire population of Johor, given that families will now have more synchronised leisure time with those in other states.
The decision also reconnects Johor with its weekend practices from 1994 to 2013, when it observed Saturday and Sunday as its official rest days.
However, the state reverted to a Friday-Saturday weekend in 2014, honouring Friday as the holy day for Muslims. – October 11, 2024