The Sarawak Labour Department has confirmed that the additional public holiday on September 15, 2025, declared by the state government, is separate from the 18 public holidays already provided under paragraph 104(1)(a) of the Labour Ordinance (Sarawak Chapter 76).
In a Facebook post, the department stated that employees covered under the ordinance are entitled to this holiday in line with paragraph 104(1)(b). However, employers may choose to designate another day as a replacement for this additional holiday.
The department further clarified that if September 15 falls on an employee’s rest day, the replacement holiday will be observed on the following working day. Employees required to work on this day must be paid according to the holiday pay rates specified under subsections 104(6), (7), (8), and (9) of the ordinance.
The announcement was published today in the Sarawak Government Gazette, with the declaration dated yesterday under Section 5 of the Public Holidays Ordinance.
Meanwhile, the Sabah government had earlier gazetted the same additional holiday on August 21.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim first declared this one-off additional public holiday on July 23, which falls on a Monday, to honor the spirit of unity and the historical significance of Malaysia’s formation.
Malaysia Day, celebrated annually on September 16, is a national holiday commemorating the establishment of Malaysia in 1963.
