Private sector told to observe public holidays for polling

Human Resources Minister M Saravanan has urged the private sector to observe the public holidays this Friday and Saturday to give employees the opportunity to fulfil their responsibilities as voters.

He said this was to fulfil the purpose and intention of giving the public holidays, to encourage Malaysians to vote in conjunction with the 15th general election on Nov 19.

He added that the public holidays were declared under Section 8 of the Holidays Act 1951 (Act 369), and were general holidays allocated to workers in the private sector pursuant to Section 60D(1)(b) of the Employment Act 1955.

"According to these provisions, employers can substitute any other day in lieu of a paid public holiday for employees," he said in a statement today.

Saravanan said employers are required to inform employees whether to choose the dates of Nov 18 and 19 as public holidays or replace them with other dates.

If there is no replacement, employees who work on those dates are eligible to receive the salary rate for public holidays, he said.