Malaysian employers may be fined RM 10,000 for denying public holiday

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) executive director Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan has said that employers who don't grant leave on 24 April could be fined RM 10,000.

To mark the installation of Sultan Muhammad V from Kelantan as Malaysia’s 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA), 24 April 2017 has been recently declared as a public holiday.

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The national holiday has been approved by the federal government under Section 8 of the 1951 Public Holidays Act, Shamsuddin told Chinese daily Sin Chew.

"If the state government announced the holidays, the employer has the right to decide whether or not to comply. But if the federal government, under the 1951 Public Holidays Act, declares a holiday - employers will have to comply, or they could face a RM10,000 fine," he said.

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Additionally, Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) president Abdul Halim Bin Mansor told Sin Chew: "It's a form of respect to the YDPA. I understand that some companies may have plans on that day, but the federal government has given a 20-day notice, so I believe arrangements can be made. If a company decides not to grant leave, they might be punished."

He added that should employees still work on that day, employers are obligated to pay double salary.

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