JOHOR BARU: The possible weekend change in Johor to Saturday and Sunday will not just benefit those in the state but also those commuting daily to work in Singapore.
Besides being better for families, others said it would help spur Johor’s economy.
Hotel worker Fendi Mat Salleh, 32, who commutes daily to Singapore, said the change would allow him to spend more time with his wife and young son.
He said his wife would return home at 6.30pm on weekdays while he would only leave for Singapore at about 8pm.
“I spend hardly two hours with my wife and child on weekdays,” he said.
S. Suresh, 45, who works as a logistics manager in Singapore, said the move would allow him to spend another day with his children on Sundays.
“I hope that this change of weekend becomes a reality as my children go to school on Sundays and I only have Saturday to spend with them,” he said, adding this his wife, a government servant, would be off on Fridays and Saturdays.
Suresh said the move would help spur the state’s economy as investors would not be confused with the different weekends for the government and private sectors.
Calvin Lee, who works in the food and beverage industry across the border, echoed Suresh’s sentiments.
The 40-year-old said his wife, who works in the private sector in Johor Baru, also worked from Mondays to Fridays.
“Our two children go to school from Sunday to Thursday, which leaves us with only Saturday to spend a whole day together as a family,” he said.
On Tuesday, Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the state was looking into reviewing its rest days after listening to the grouses from the people.
He said a solution for the matter could be announced soon.
Meanwhile, others had mixed feelings about the change.
Bank officer Muz Musa said he did not mind the status quo, as it meant that the public sector here would be open on Sunday.
“The current rest days are quite convenient for me as I work in Singapore where my weekend is on Saturdays and Sundays.
“This means that I do not have to take leave from work just to run errands at government offices in Johor Baru as they are open from Sunday to Thursday,” said the 46-year-old.
He added that having Sunday as a work day in Johor also made it easy for him to bring his wife’s parents in Melaka to Muar, which is about an hour’s drive away, to renew their licences and perform other errands at government offices.
In 2013, Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar declared the change of the state’s rest days to Friday and Saturday instead of Saturday and Sunday.
The change of rest days was implemented in the state from Jan 1, 2014.
Aside from Johor, states such as Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu also observe rest days on Fridays and Saturdays.
Meanwhile state Opposition leader Liew Chin Tong said the change would improve and add value to the lives of Johoreans who would then be able to spend more time together with their families.
“This will also increase productivity and efficiency in terms of work,” said the Perling assemblyman, adding that the move would further help the state government to create a healthy economic ecosystem, especially in attracting more investors.
