⚖️ Legal Regulations

Malaysian working day regulations are governed by the Holidays Act 1951 and the Employment Act 1955. Employees are entitled to a minimum of 11 public holidays per year, with five being compulsory: National Day, Agong's Birthday, State Ruler's Birthday, Labor Day, and Malaysia Day. Specific rules exist for holidays falling on rest days, overlapping holidays, and payment calculations, including provisions for replacement holidays.

📰 News

For 2026, a notable scheduling challenge involves the overlap of Thaipusam and Federal Territory Day on February 1, requiring specific replacement holiday rules. The HR guide also references the possibility of ad-hoc holidays, citing a 2025 example where a Johor public holiday was suddenly declared for a football win, highlighting the dynamic nature of holiday planning.

💡 Insights

In the US, the typical work schedule is Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. A common cultural practice is to create 'bridge days' by taking leave between a holiday and a weekend to extend time off. Many offices close early on the day before major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, though this is not a universal legal requirement.
Managing public holidays in Malaysia is described as 'almost an art form' due to the complex system of federal, state, and religious holidays. A key cultural practice is the creation of 'replacement holidays' when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, which can lead to working days on weekends. The calendar reflects significant regional diversity, with many holidays observed only in specific states or by certain groups.

2026 Working days summary for Penang, Malaysia

Penang, Malaysia has 245 working days in 2026. This is calculated from 365 total calendar days, minus 97 weekend days (Saturday-Sunday), and minus 23 holidays. The standard work week runs Monday through Friday.

245
Working Days
97
Weekend Days
23
Holidays

Monthly Breakdown

MonthWorkingWeekendHolidaysTotal
January 21 9 1 31
February 17 7 4 28
March 20 6 5 31
April 22 8 0 30
May 19 9 3 31
June 20 8 2 30
July 22 7 2 31
August 19 10 2 31
September 21 8 1 30
October 22 9 0 31
November 20 8 2 30
December 22 8 1 31
Total 245 97 23 365

2026 Calendar for Penang, Malaysia

January 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
New Year's Day
New Year's Day
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

21 working days, 9 weekend days, and 1 holiday in January 2026.

February 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
Thaipusam
Thaipusam
2
Thaipusam Holiday
Thaipusam Holiday
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
18
Chinese New Year (Day 2)
Chinese New Year (Day 2)
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28

17 working days, 7 weekend days, and 4 holidays in February 2026.

March 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Nuzul Al-Quran
Nuzul Al-Quran
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Additional Holiday)
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Additional Holiday)
21
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
Hari Raya Aidilfitri
22
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (2nd Day)
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (2nd Day)
23
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Additional Holiday)
Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Additional Holiday)
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

20 working days, 6 weekend days, and 5 holidays in March 2026.

April 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

22 working days, 8 weekend days in April 2026.

May 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
Labour Day
Labour Day
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Hari Raya Haji
Hari Raya Haji
28
29
30
31
Wesak Day
Wesak Day

19 working days, 9 weekend days, and 3 holidays in May 2026.

June 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Awal Muharram
Awal Muharram
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

20 working days, 8 weekend days, and 2 holidays in June 2026.

July 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Georgetown World Heritage City Day
Georgetown World Heritage City Day
8
9
10
11
Penang Governor's Birthday
Penang Governor's Birthday
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

22 working days, 7 weekend days, and 2 holidays in July 2026.

August 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Prophet Muhammad's Birthday
Prophet Muhammad's Birthday
26
27
28
29
30
31
National Day
National Day

19 working days, 10 weekend days, and 2 holidays in August 2026.

September 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Malaysia Day
Malaysia Day
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

21 working days, 8 weekend days, and 1 holiday in September 2026.

October 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

22 working days, 9 weekend days in October 2026.

November 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Deepavali
Deepavali
9
Deepavali Holiday
Deepavali Holiday
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

20 working days, 8 weekend days, and 2 holidays in November 2026.

December 2026

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Christmas Day
Christmas Day
26
27
28
29
30
31

22 working days, 8 weekend days, and 1 holiday in December 2026.

Changelog

2026-05-17 22:25:44The holiday set for Penang in 2026 has been expanded with additional holidays and slight adjustments to existing ones.
2026-05-05 10:50:52The holiday set for 2026 has been expanded with additional observances and adjustments to existing dates.

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