By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Sept 14: The Sarawak Civil Service will operate as usual on Sept 17, despite the overlap of two public holidays of Malaysia Day and Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (Maulidur Rasul) on Sept 16.
Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki confirmed that there will be no public holiday for the public sector on Sept 17.
“We will work as usual on Sept 17. It is not a public holiday,” he told DayakDaily when contacted today.
This follows the announcement by the Civil Service Department under the Prime Minister’s Department in a reminder on its social media page that Federal civil services will remain operational on Sept 17, with no replacement holiday for the overlap of the two public holidays.
It added that the Holidays Act 1951 does not provide for an automatic replacement holiday for public holidays that overlap or fall on the same working day.
Previously, the Malaysia Human Resources Ministry explained that the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday is recognised as an optional public holiday for employers in the private sector to observe as a general day off.
Private sector employers who wish to observe this day as a general day off can grant leave on Sept 17, as provided under Section 60D(1) of the Employment Act 1955.
Alternatively, they may choose to designate a different day off under Section 60D(1A) of the Act. — DayakDaily
