Selangor declares public holiday on election eve

The Selangor government has declared a public holiday for Friday, Nov 18, the day before polling day for the general election.

Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the decision would be gazetted after being approved at the state government meeting next Wednesday.

"Selangor has the highest number of voters in Malaysia at 3,677,848 and there are a large number of Malaysians who work and reside in the state but vote in their home towns in other states.

"I have also held preliminary discussions (regarding the public holiday) with the states under Pakatan Harapan, but Selangor finalised this matter earlier and announced it today," he told a special press conference in Shah Alam.

He said the state government also hoped that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob would announce a similar holiday nationwide to enable the people to go out and vote in the Nov 19 general election.