Johor may possibly revert to having Saturday and Sunday as official days off again, soon. According to highly-placed sources who spoke to Malay Mail, the matter is in discussion and could be implemented by this year.

For the record, Johor had been observing Friday and Saturday as its rest days since January 1, 2014, following a decree by Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, who made the change to make it easier for Muslims in the state to attend Friday prayers. 

These are some facts you should know on the matter: 

• The state government may implement a two-and-a-half day weekend
• This includes Friday as a half-day to make way for Friday prayers, followed by Saturday and Sunday as weekend rest days
• Civil servants will not be required to return to office after Friday prayers
• To make up for the lost hours on Friday, the working hours from Monday to Thursday may be extended by another hour - from 8am to 6pm, from the current 8am to 5pm

Pasir Raja assemblyperson Nor Rashidah Ismail had recently proposed the adoption of a three-day weekend for a four-day work week, such as the practice in countries like Belgium, Iceland, Scotland, Spain, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

On June 14, Johor Menteri Besar Onn hafiz Ghazi said that the state government was looking at the possibility of reviewing its rest days, and a solution on the matter could be announced soon. 

If it takes place, the switch is bound to excite Johoreans. 


Source: Malay Mail
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