Johor will officially change its weekend rest days to Saturday and Sunday beginning January 1, 2025, as announced by the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim. The decision marks a significant shift from the current Friday-Saturday weekend, which has been in place since January 2014.

"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 Jan 1, 2025, Johor's weekend off days will be changed to Saturday and Sunday," Tunku Ismail shared in a statement on his official social media page.

According to NST, in his announcement, Tunku Ismail emphasized the importance of ensuring that all aspects of the change are carefully studied. He has instructed Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and the Johor mufti to discuss and consider every angle of the new weekend structure. He also highlighted the importance of allowing Muslim workers ample time to perform their Friday prayers.

"I hope that the private sector, the government, and related parties allow sufficient time and space for Muslim workers to perform Friday prayers accordingly," Tunku Ismail said.

Johor has been observing Friday and Saturday as its weekend since 2014, aligning with other states like Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu, which also observe Friday-Saturday weekends. However, the shift back to Saturday and Sunday is seen as an effort to align the state's weekend with the rest of the country, where the majority of states follow the Saturday-Sunday schedule.

In June 2022, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi acknowledged that there had been public complaints about the difference in rest days between the government and the private sector. The issue led to the state government's investigation into the matter, and by August 2022, the findings were presented to Sultan Ibrahim for consideration.

The move to a Saturday-Sunday weekend will help streamline business operations in Johor, potentially improving coordination between public and private sectors, while still ensuring that religious practices, such as Friday prayers, are respected.

Source: NST