JOHOR BARU: Individuals who are upset or dissatisfied over the Johor government’s decision to change its weekend should move to states that still observe the Friday and Saturday weekend, says Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
The Johor Regent added the decision was based on the consideration and wishes of the people who wanted to spend more time with their families and children.
“The positive economic impact being in line with the implementation of development projects that uplift Johor, which in turn will bring benefits to the state and its people,” he said in a Facebook post here on Friday (Oct 11).
Tunku Ismail added with the consent and blessing of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, together with views of the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ), the state government and the people, he made the decision for Johor to have weekends off on Saturday and Sunday.
“If there are parties upset or dissatisfied due to personal agendas, want to provoke the people or have political interests, you are welcomed to move to states that still have Friday and Saturday as weekends,” he said.
Other states currently observing the Friday and Saturday weekend include Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah.
On Monday (Oct 7), Tunku Ismail said Johor would revert its rest days to Saturday and Sunday from Jan 1, 2025.
The decision comes 10 years after Sultan Ibrahim had changed the state’s weekend to Friday and Saturday as a mark of respect for Friday’s importance to Muslims and as recognition of Islam as the state’s official religion.
His Majesty was reported to have said this was a reversion to the state’s original weekend, which had been in effect since before Merdeka.
The switch to Saturday and Sunday as the weekend was made in 1994 when Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was the menteri besar.
In June, 2022, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the state government would review the weekend rest days after a comprehensive study.
Meanwhile, Onn Hafiz said in a statement the state government viewed that not all matters should become a political issue with every decision taken was the best for Johor and its people as a whole.
He added getting views from Johor Mufti Datuk Yahya Ahmad and state Islamic religious affairs committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid, the supremacy of Islam would not diminish in the slightest when Johor no longer has a weekend on Fridays starting January next year.
“God willing, without leaving aside the importance of Friday prayers, the state government is confident that this decision will benefit the entire people where they would get more quality time with their beloved family members by making it easier for them to plan activities on the weekend.
“I hope that no other party will make any speculations, statements and turn them into political material that can cloud the situation and affect the harmony of Johor,” he said.
