Public Holidays in Malaysia 2026 – Islamic, National & State Holidays

Malaysia's public holiday calendar for 2026 combines federal holidays observed nationwide with additional holidays that apply only in particular states or Federal Territories. The nationwide schedule includes major Islamic, Buddhist, Chinese, national and Christian observances, while dates such as New Year's Day, Deepavali and certain second-day celebrations have geographic exceptions. The VisaBoards schedule below therefore focuses on public holidays that apply throughout Malaysia.

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Next Public Holiday in Malaysia

[next_public_holiday country="Malaysia"]

Public Holidays in Malaysia 2026

[public_holidays country="Malaysia" year="2026"]

How Public Holidays Work in Malaysia

Malaysia has both federal and state public holidays. The official annual calendar is published by the Bahagian Kabinet, Perlembagaan dan Perhubungan Antara Kerajaan under the Prime Minister's Department and shows which holidays apply in each state and Federal Territory.

The official 2026 federal and state public holiday schedule is particularly important because a holiday described as federal does not necessarily have identical coverage in every state. Some dates contain specific state exceptions.

For the nationwide VisaBoards calendar, a date is included only when the official 2026 schedule shows that it applies in all Malaysian states and Federal Territories.

Nationwide and State Public Holidays Are Not the Same

Malaysia's holiday system varies geographically. In addition to nationwide federal holidays, individual states observe ruler birthdays, religious observances, anniversaries and local celebrations.

For example, the official 2026 schedule lists Thaipusam in selected states and Federal Territories, Good Friday in Sabah and Sarawak, Kaamatan in Sabah and Labuan, Gawai Dayak in Sarawak, and several state ruler or governor birthdays. These dates are important locally but are not nationwide Malaysian public holidays.

Why New Year's Day Is Not in the Nationwide Malaysia Table

New Year's Day on 1 January 2026 is an official public holiday in many parts of Malaysia, but it is not observed throughout the entire country.

The official schedule shows state-level exceptions, including Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu. For that reason, New Year's Day is excluded from the VisaBoards nationwide dataset rather than being presented as a holiday that applies to every Malaysian state.

Chinese New Year in Malaysia in 2026

Chinese New Year fell on Tuesday, 17 February 2026 and applies throughout Malaysia.

The second day of Chinese New Year fell on Wednesday, 18 February. However, the official schedule shows that the second day is not observed as a public holiday in Kelantan and Terengganu. VisaBoards therefore includes 17 February in the nationwide dataset but does not classify 18 February as a nationwide holiday.

Hari Raya Puasa in Malaysia in 2026

Hari Raya Puasa, also known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Eid al-Fitr, was observed on Saturday, 21 March 2026. The second day, Sunday, 22 March, is also listed as a federal public holiday throughout Malaysia.

The original 2026 calendar marked the Hari Raya dates as subject to change because the beginning of Syawal depends on Malaysia's official Islamic-calendar determination. The Keeper of the Rulers' Seal subsequently announced that Muslims in Malaysia would celebrate 1 Syawal on 21 March 2026.

Hari Raya Qurban in Malaysia in 2026

Hari Raya Qurban, commonly known internationally as Eid al-Adha, fell on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 and is shown in the federal schedule across every state and Federal Territory.

The second day, 28 May, is different. It is listed as a public holiday only in Kelantan and Terengganu. It is therefore a state-specific holiday rather than a nationwide Malaysian public holiday.

Wesak Day in Malaysia in 2026

Wesak Day falls on Sunday, 31 May 2026 and is listed across all states and Federal Territories in the official federal holiday schedule.

The holiday is followed immediately by the Official Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Monday, 1 June 2026, creating consecutive nationwide public-holiday dates.

Official Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong

The Official Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong falls on Monday, 1 June 2026. The federal schedule shows the holiday applying across Malaysia.

This national observance should be distinguished from the birthdays of individual state rulers and governors, which appear separately in the state public-holiday calendar and apply only within the relevant state.

Awal Muharam in Malaysia in 2026

Awal Muharam, also known as Maal Hijrah, falls on Wednesday, 17 June 2026. It marks the beginning of the Islamic year and appears in the official schedule across all Malaysian states and Federal Territories.

Maulidur Rasul in Malaysia in 2026

The Birthday of Prophet Muhammad, known in Malaysia as Maulidur Rasul, falls on Tuesday, 25 August 2026. The official schedule lists the observance throughout Malaysia.

National Day and Malaysia Day

Malaysia has two major nationwide national commemorations in the second half of 2026.

National Day, or Hari Kebangsaan, is observed on Monday, 31 August 2026. It commemorates the independence of the Federation of Malaya in 1957.

Malaysia Day is observed on Wednesday, 16 September 2026 and commemorates the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Both dates appear throughout all states and Federal Territories in the official 2026 schedule.

Why Deepavali Is Not in the Nationwide Table

Deepavali falls on Sunday, 8 November 2026 and is a public holiday across most of Malaysia. However, the official federal schedule shows that it is not a public holiday in Sarawak.

Because the VisaBoards nationwide dataset requires a holiday to apply throughout Malaysia, Deepavali is not included in the primary nationwide table. It remains an important public holiday in the states and Federal Territories where it is officially observed.

Christmas Day in Malaysia

Christmas Day falls on Friday, 25 December 2026. The official federal schedule shows the holiday applying across every Malaysian state and Federal Territory.

State-Specific Public Holidays in Malaysia

Malaysia has a substantial number of state-specific holidays in addition to the nationwide dates. Their applicability depends on the state or Federal Territory.

• Federal Territory Day applies in Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.
• Thaipusam is observed only in designated states and Federal Territories.
• Awal Ramadan is a state holiday in Johor and Kedah.
• Nuzul Al-Quran applies in selected states and Federal Territories.
• Good Friday is observed in Sabah and Sarawak.
• Kaamatan is associated with Sabah and Labuan.
• Gawai Dayak is a Sarawak public holiday.
• State ruler and governor birthdays apply within the relevant state.

These holidays should be checked against the official state column in the annual Government calendar rather than assumed to apply nationwide.

Public Holiday Laws in Malaysia

The Holidays Act 1951 provides the legal framework for public and bank holidays in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territories covered by the Act.

Sabah and Sarawak have separate holiday legislation. The Prime Minister's Department therefore publishes a consolidated annual schedule that brings together federal and state public holidays and shows their geographic applicability.

Do Malaysia Public Holidays Have Substitute Days?

Substitute-day rules in Malaysia depend on the applicable legislation, the weekly rest day and the state or Federal Territory concerned. Malaysia does not have one simple nationwide weekend rule that can safely be applied to every holiday in every state.

For this reason, a holiday falling on Sunday or another weekly holiday should not automatically be converted into a substitute date unless the relevant official rule or calendar confirms the replacement day.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many nationwide public holiday dates are there in Malaysia in 2026?

The verified VisaBoards nationwide dataset contains 12 public-holiday dates for 2026. This count includes only dates shown by the official Government schedule as applying throughout all Malaysian states and Federal Territories.

What is the next public holiday in Malaysia?

The next holiday changes during the year. The live VisaBoards section near the top of this page displays the upcoming nationwide public holiday from the current holiday database.

When is Chinese New Year in Malaysia in 2026?

Chinese New Year falls on 17 February 2026. The second day falls on 18 February but is not a public holiday in Kelantan and Terengganu, so only the first day is included in the nationwide dataset.

When is Hari Raya Puasa in Malaysia in 2026?

Hari Raya Puasa was confirmed for 21 March 2026, with the second nationwide holiday falling on 22 March.

When is Hari Raya Qurban in Malaysia in 2026?

Hari Raya Qurban falls on 27 May 2026 throughout Malaysia. The second day on 28 May applies only in Kelantan and Terengganu.

Is New Year's Day a nationwide public holiday in Malaysia?

No. New Year's Day is observed in many Malaysian states and Federal Territories but has several state exceptions. It is therefore not classified as a nationwide holiday in the VisaBoards dataset.

Is Deepavali a nationwide public holiday in Malaysia?

No. Deepavali is a public holiday in most of Malaysia, but the official schedule excludes Sarawak. It is therefore not included in the nationwide table.

Are public holidays the same in every Malaysian state?

No. Malaysia has federal holidays and numerous state-specific holidays. Public-holiday calendars differ because states observe different religious occasions, ruler birthdays, commemorations and regional festivals.

When is Malaysia National Day in 2026?

National Day, or Hari Kebangsaan, is observed on 31 August 2026 throughout Malaysia.

When is Malaysia Day in 2026?

Malaysia Day is observed nationwide on 16 September 2026.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Malaysia

• Prime Minister's Department – 2026 Federal and State Public Holiday Schedule: identifies the federal holidays, dates and state-by-state applicability for 2026.
• Prime Minister's Department – Public Holiday Acts and Gazettes: provides official legislation, public-holiday gazettes and annual schedules.
• Holidays Act 1951 (Act 369): provides the statutory framework for public and bank holidays in Peninsular Malaysia.
• Sarawak Public Communications Unit – Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2026: records the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal's confirmation that 1 Syawal 1447H fell on 21 March 2026.