A file picture of the Johor Baru skyline. - THOMAS YONG/The Star
ISKANDAR PUTERI: A Johor assemblyman has proposed for the state government to adopt a three-day weekend for a four-day work week.
Nor Rashidah Ismail (BN-Pasir Raja) said countries such as Belgium, Iceland, Scotland, Spain, Japan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) practiced a four-day work week from Monday to Thursday with rest days from Fridays to Sundays.
"If productivity is the subject of debate, then I suggest this option where we work full-time from Monday to Thursday with an additional one hour working time.
"If the working hours were 8am to 5pm before, then the implementation of this proposal will see working hours from 8am to 6pm from Monday to Thursday.
"Then there will be half-day working hours on Friday, which is from 8am to noon where Muslim workers are still able to comfortably fulfil their Friday prayers obligation," she added.
Nor Rashidah said this during her debate on Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar's decree during the state assembly meeting held at Bangunan Sultan Ismail in Kota Iskandar here on Monday (June 20).
She said it was better to standardise the rest days between the government and private sector to ensure the well-being of the family.
Meanwhile, Liow Cai Tung (PH-Johor Jaya) urged the state government to speed up its review on rest days issue so that it can be presented to the Johor Ruler and get His Majesty's consent.
"The state is among the main contributors to the nation's economy. Standardising rest days with private bodies will increase productivity, efficiency and Johor's tourism sector," she said.
On Tuesday (June 14), Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the state was looking at the possibility of reviewing its rest days after listening to feedback from the people about the difference in rest days between the government and private bodies.
He said a solution to the matter could be announced soon.
In 2013, Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar had declared the change of the state's rest days to Friday and Saturday instead of Saturday and Sunday.
The change of weekend has been imposed in the state since Jan 1, 2014.
Besides Johor, states such as Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu have Friday and Saturday as their weekend off days.
