ISKANDAR PUTERI: The decision to revert Johor's weekend to Saturday and Sunday starting next year will help address the issue of students skipping school, an assemblyman claimed.
Ee Chin Li (PH-Tangkak) said the former state executive councillor in charge of education, communications and information once informed the state assembly that the rate of students skipping school on Sundays was very high, especially during long weekends or public holidays.
"Based on this, together with education, economic and social considerations, I welcome the decision to return the state's rest days to Saturday and Sunday," he said while debating the Johor Budget 2025 in the state assembly on Monday (Nov 25).
Ee noted that students skipping school on Sundays had become more serious after the Covid-19 pandemic.
He added that teachers have reported high absenteeism, which negatively affects student performance and teaching effectiveness.
Having uniform rest days, he said, would streamline rest time for parents and their children, thus reducing absenteeism and improving the quality of education.
"Furthermore, the people's support for this change is very clear. In 2016, a poll conducted in Johor found that 95.7% of respondents agreed that rest days should be changed to Saturday and Sunday," he said.
Ee also pointed out an online petition supporting the change has garnered over 50,000 signatures, further demonstrating local support for aligning Johor's weekend with other states.
"So, changing Johor's rest days to Saturday and Sunday will not only solve the problem of school truancy and improve the quality of education, but will also support economic development, improve administrative efficiency, and coordinate family time.
"These changes are in line with the aspirations of the majority of the people and provide long-term benefits to Johor," he added.
The decree by Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, with the consent of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, would change the state's official rest days to Saturday and Sunday, effective Jan 1, 2025.
