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The exact day - Friday (21 April) or Monday (24 April) - will depend on when the first day of Hari Raya (Syawal) falls on. In either case, there will be a four-day long weekend to look forward to.
In view of the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has declared an additional day of holiday in the period.
The exact day - Friday (21 April) or Monday (24 April) - will depend on when the first day of Hari Raya (Syawal) falls on. Speaking at a media conference on 18 April 2023 (Tuesday), the Prime Minister shared that if the first day falls on the 21st, the following Monday (24 April 2023) will then be declared an additional holiday. If the first day falls on Saturday (22 April), then Friday the 21st will be the additional day of holiday.
In either case, there will be a four-day long weekend in conjunction with the festival.
Those working in Sabah or Sarawak will have to refer to their respective State government's announcement. Since PM Anwar's declaration, Sabah's Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Bin Haji Noor has also declared 21 April as a public holiday in the state. At the time of writing, the Sarawak government has yet to make an announcement.
The additional public holiday aims to ease Aidilfitri planning for citizens, and to allow them to return to their hometowns, he shared.
In the same vein, PM Anwar also announced a free 'Rahmah' toll, which is a four-day toll waiver involving 33 highways for all vehicle classes. This will last from 19 April 2023 (Wednesday) to 21 April 2023 (Friday), as well as on 24 April 2023 (Monday).
Other initiatives announced at the media conference include:
- An increase of RM250mn allocated for the maintenance of the federal road, with the work being specially allotted for the benefit of small contractors of Bumiputera. With this, the periodic maintenance allocation of the federal road of RM750mn announced in the 2023 Budget will increase to RM1bn.
- The Government has agreed to offer the price of raw goods such as chicken, onions, and basic food items for the needs of Rahmah menu entrepreneurs at a special discount rate in collaboration with selected supermarkets.
- A licensed prisoner release programme, which allows inmates of Islamic prisons a chance to celebrate Aidilfitri with their families, and for inmates of other religions to meet with their families.
ALSO READ: Employee entitlements: What to do if a public holiday in Malaysia falls on a rest or non-working day
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Lead image / Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim Facebook
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