KUALA LUMPUR – The Labour Department mandates that all private-sector employers in the Federal Territories are to give one day’s paid leave to staff on February 3.
In a press statement, the department explained that the Chinese New Year public holidays fall on February 1 and 2, while Federal Territories Day falls on February 1.
“Given these two public holidays fall on February 1, one additional public holiday must be given by employers to their workers as provided for under Section 60D(1)(b)(ii) Employment Act 1955,” the statement reads.
The provision says: “Every employee shall be entitled to a paid holiday at his ordinary rate of pay on the following days in any one calendar year on any day appointed as a public holiday.
“Provided that if any of the public holidays fall on any other public holiday, the working day following immediately the rest day or the other public holiday shall be a paid holiday in substitution of the first-mentioned public holiday.”
However, this does not apply to employers that do not list Chinese New Year as a public holiday.
According to the press statement, in such cases, employers only need to give paid leave for Federal Territories Day.
This applies to employers located in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan. – The Vibes, January 28, 2022
