Sarawak Passes Bill On Automatic Replacement Of Public Holidays

KUCHING, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Public holidays in Sarawak that fall on a Sunday or coincide with another public holiday will be automatically replaced following the passing of the Public Holidays (Amendment) Bill 2026 by the State Legislative Assembly today.

The bill, tabled by Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, was passed by a majority vote after seven assemblymen took part in the debate.

Sharifah Hasidah said the existing law provides for the following Monday to be a public holiday when a public holiday falls on a Sunday. However, it is silent on cases where a public holiday coincides with another public holiday.

“This overlapping situation had occurred several times in Sarawak before, especially during our festive seasons.

“For example, in 2025, the second day of Hari Gawai coincided with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Birthday, while in 2026, Wesak Day fell on a Sunday, with Monday and Tuesday already designated as Gawai public holidays,” she said.

She said the bill would enable a replacement public holiday to take effect automatically under the Ordinance.

“There will no longer be a need to issue a separate notification in the Gazette each time such an overlap of holidays occurs. This will provide greater certainty to the public and improve administrative efficiency, as the replacement public holiday will arise automatically under the law.

“I suppose this will allow families or members of society to plan their holidays in advance without having to wonder or wait for confirmation through a Gazette notification,” she added.

-- BERNAMA