Malaysia Public Holidays 2027: Full List and Long Weekends

Malaysia Public Holidays 2027: Full List and Long Weekends

Malaysia's 2027 public holiday list is better for long weekends than it first looks. Six federal holiday days land on a weekend, but only the three Saturdays are lost: the first day of Chinese New Year, Labour Day and Christmas. The three Sunday holidays carry over to a weekday under the Holidays Act 1951. That gives most Peninsular states five long weekends without taking leave, including a four-day break in early June.

That matters if you book travel for a team. The holidays that bridge well are the weeks when much of the country takes the same days off. Festive demand on some routes is heavy enough that the government steps in. For Chinese New Year and Hari Raya 2026, the government set fixed fares of RM328 to Sarawak and RM398 to Sabah (Bernama, 2026).

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The table lists the 2027 federal public holidays from the Prime Minister's Department schedule issued in August 2026, plus New Year's Day and Thaipusam, which are state holidays. The official list marks Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Haji and Deepavali as subject to change.

In most Peninsular states, five long weekends need no leave once Sunday holidays carry over (four where New Year's Day isn't observed). Three Saturday holidays are lost. Five more turn into a four- or five-day break if someone takes a single day off.

Malaysia public holidays 2027: the federal list

Four of the holidays in this table can still move; the long weekends come from the replacement-day rule.

Replacement days follow section 3 of the Holidays Act 1951. When a public holiday falls on the weekly holiday, the next day becomes a holiday, or the day after if the next day is already one. The Act covers Peninsular Malaysia, where the weekly holiday is Sunday, or Friday in states that rest on Friday. Saturday holidays are not carried over.

Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu use a Friday and Saturday weekend, so their pattern differs. Johor moved to a Saturday and Sunday weekend in January 2025. Sabah and Sarawak set replacement days under their own laws.

State holidays worth checking include Israk and Mikraj (6 January and 26 December in Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis and Terengganu) and Federal Territory Day (1 February in KL, Putrajaya and Labuan). Awal Ramadan is a holiday on 8 February in Johor and Kedah. Nuzul Al-Quran falls on 24 February in ten states and territories, including KL and Selangor. Sabah and Sarawak mark Good Friday on 26 March, Sabah and Labuan mark Pesta Kaamatan on 30 and 31 May, and Sarawak marks Gawai Dayak on 1 and 2 June.

Which 2027 long weekends need no leave?

Three of the five depend on replacement days that the official schedule does not print, and New Year's Day is a state holiday.

Friday 1 January. New Year's Day opens the year on a Friday in the states that observe it. Anything that has to happen in the first week of January should assume a Monday start on the 4th, which is also the day schools reopen.

Saturday 6 to Monday 8 February. Chinese New Year falls on the weekend, but the second day is a Sunday, so Monday 8 February is the replacement holiday in most Peninsular states. Johor and Kedah also mark Awal Ramadan that day, so check their state notices.

Saturday 15 to Monday 17 May. Hari Raya Haji gives a Saturday to Monday break, subject to moon sighting. Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu also mark Tuesday 18 May.

Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 June. Awal Muharram falls on Sunday 6 June and the Agong's Birthday on Monday 7 June. Because the Monday is already a holiday, the replacement for Awal Muharram moves to Tuesday 8 June. That gives four days off without leave.

Saturday 14 to Monday 16 August. The Prophet Muhammad's Birthday falls on Sunday 15 August, so Monday 16 August is the replacement day.

The five bridges, and why they matter for travel

Four of the five bridging days are Fridays; only Merdeka needs a Monday off.

These are the weeks to watch. When much of the country takes the same bridging day, demand for flights and hotels moves together.

The Aidilfitri window in March is the significant one. It has two holiday days midweek and one bridging day, school term holidays run from 5 to 14 March depending on the state, and the annual balik kampung movement comes on top. Book routes between the Peninsula and East Malaysia early for this window.

If you have client meetings or an internal offsite that could land in any of those five weeks, consider moving it a week either side.

Why is February 2027 so busy?

Johor and Kedah also mark Awal Ramadan on 8 February, the same Monday as the Chinese New Year replacement holiday.

Chinese New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, with the second day on the Sunday. Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday 8 February, subject to moon sighting.

This is the second year running that the two fall within days of each other. Ramadan moves roughly eleven days earlier against the solar calendar each year. In 2026 it began on 19 February, two days after Chinese New Year on 17 February, and in 2027 it is expected two days after again.

For a Malaysian business, this puts two of the year's largest demand events and two separate waves of staff absence into a single fortnight. Hari Raya Aidilfitri follows just over four weeks later, on 10 March. Schools in most states are also closed from 5 to 14 February. The result is a stretch from early February to mid-March where scheduling anything reliably is difficult.

What this means for booking business travel in 2027

If you plan around only one stretch of 2027, make it early February to mid-March.

Book around the bridges. The five bridging weeks above are when many people take the same day off. Shifting a trip by a week is the simplest way to avoid that demand.

Treat February and early March as one blocked period. Chinese New Year, the start of Ramadan and Aidilfitri sit inside five weeks of each other. Plan first-quarter travel either side of it.

Watch the quiet stretch. After the June long weekend, there is no federal holiday from Wednesday 9 June until the weekend of 14 to 16 August. That is the longest run without a federal holiday in 2027, and schools are in session throughout it. Some states have their own days in that window: Kedah on 20 June, Penang on 7 and 10 July, Johor on 11 July, Sarawak on 22 July and Pahang on 30 July.

Confirm state dates before you commit. A Selangor team and a Sarawak team do not have the same calendar. New Year's Day, Thaipusam, Nuzul Al-Quran and Deepavali are the usual sources of a missed assumption.

Plan around school holidays. Family travel peaks when schools close. In most states, schools close from 5 to 14 February for Chinese New Year and from 6 to 14 March for the first term break. They close again from 15 May to 6 June, from 28 August to 5 September, and from 4 December for the year-end break. Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu start most breaks a day earlier.

Decide the company trip early. If part of a company trip is training you want HRD Corp to fund, the grant application has to go in at least 14 calendar days before the training starts. Fix the dates well before that. For daily allowance rates on those trips, see per diem and mileage rates in Singapore and Malaysia.

A note on accuracy

Treat 8 February, 8 June and 16 August as derived dates until your state or employer confirms them.

Dates here follow the Federal and State Public Holiday Schedule 2027 issued by the Prime Minister's Department in August 2026. The schedule marks Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Haji, Awal Ramadan and Deepavali as subject to change. Replacement days for Sunday holidays come from the Holidays Act 1951 and are not printed on the schedule. Your state authority and your employment terms are the final word.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Chinese New Year 2027 in Malaysia?

Chinese New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, with the second day on Sunday 7 February. Because the second day is a Sunday, Monday 8 February is a replacement holiday in most Peninsular states under the Holidays Act 1951, giving a three-day weekend without leave. The first day falls on a Saturday and is not replaced. Johor and Kedah also mark Awal Ramadan on 8 February, so check their state notices for any further replacement day.

When is Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2027 in Malaysia?

Hari Raya Aidilfitri falls on Wednesday 10 March 2027, with the second day on Thursday 11 March, according to the Prime Minister's Department schedule. The official list marks both days as subject to change, because the date depends on moon sighting. Melaka adds a third day on Friday 12 March. Elsewhere, taking that Friday as leave turns the holiday into a five-day break, which is why the week fills up quickly for travel.

When does Ramadan 2027 begin in Malaysia?

Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, subject to moon sighting, and to run for 29 or 30 days until early March. Awal Ramadan is a public holiday that day in Johor and Kedah. Because Chinese New Year falls on 6 and 7 February, the start of Ramadan lands in the same week, which concentrates staff absence and travel demand into a single fortnight in early February.

How many public holidays does Malaysia have in 2027?

The official schedule lists 12 federal public holidays for 2027. Counting the second days of Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri, that is 14 holiday days in most states. State holidays come on top, such as Thaipusam, Nuzul Al-Quran, Federal Territory Day and the state rulers' birthdays, so the total depends on where your team is based. Check your own state's list before you set a travel or project calendar.

Which 2027 public holidays fall on a weekend?

Six federal holiday days fall on a weekend. Three are Saturdays: the first day of Chinese New Year on 6 February, Labour Day on 1 May and Christmas Day on 25 December. Three are Sundays: the second day of Chinese New Year on 7 February, Awal Muharram on 6 June and the Prophet Muhammad's Birthday on 15 August. In most Peninsular states, the three Sunday holidays carry over to Monday 8 February, Tuesday 8 June and Monday 16 August. The three Saturday holidays are not replaced.

What are the long weekends in Malaysia in 2027?

In most Peninsular states, five long weekends need no leave in 2027: New Year's Day on Friday 1 January where observed, and Chinese New Year from Saturday 6 to Monday 8 February. Hari Raya Haji runs from Saturday 15 to Monday 17 May, and Awal Muharram with the Agong's Birthday from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 June. The Prophet Muhammad's Birthday gives Saturday 14 to Monday 16 August. Five more become four- or five-day breaks with one day of leave: Aidilfitri in March, Wesak in May, Merdeka in August, Malaysia Day in September and Deepavali in October.

When is Deepavali 2027 in Malaysia?

Deepavali falls on Thursday 28 October 2027, a date the official schedule marks as subject to change. It is a public holiday across Malaysia except Sarawak. Taking Friday 29 October as leave turns it into a four-day break, so expect leave requests and domestic travel demand to cluster around that week. If you have client meetings or a team event planned for late October, check the date against your team's leave plans early.

When is the quietest time for business travel in Malaysia in 2027?

From Wednesday 9 June to Friday 13 August there is no federal public holiday, the longest such run of the year, and schools are in session throughout it. A few states have their own holidays in that window, so check yours. February to mid-March is the most congested period, with Chinese New Year, the start of Ramadan, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and two school breaks all falling within about five weeks.

Do public holidays that fall on a weekend get a replacement day in Malaysia?

Yes in Peninsular Malaysia, for holidays that fall on the weekly holiday. Under section 3 of the Holidays Act 1951, the next day becomes the holiday, or the day after if that is already one. The weekly holiday is Sunday, or Friday in states that rest on Friday. Saturday holidays are not carried over, so in 2027 the first day of Chinese New Year, Labour Day and Christmas Day are lost. Sabah and Sarawak follow their own laws, and private-sector entitlements also depend on the Employment Act 1955 and your contract.

Sources

• Prime Minister's Department, Jadual Hari Kelepasan Am Persekutuan dan Negeri 2027 (August 2026): https://www.kabinet.gov.my/storage/2026/08/HKA_2027.pdf

• Holidays Act 1951 (Act 369), sections 2 and 3: https://jtksm.gov.my/sites/default/files/2023-06/Akta%20369%20-%20Akta%20Hari%20Kelepasan%201951.pdf

• Ministry of Education, Kalendar Akademik Tahun 2027: https://www.moe.gov.my/storage/files/shares/Takwim/Takwim%20Persekolahan/Kalendar%20Akademik%20Tahun%202027.pdf

• HRD Corp, Grant Application Helper 2026: https://hrdcorp.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Grant-Helper-_HCC.pdf

• South China Morning Post, Johor reverts to a Saturday and Sunday weekend (2024): https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3281348/malaysias-johor-state-reverts-saturday-sunday-weekend-after-11-years

• Bernama, fixed festive fares for Chinese New Year and Hari Raya 2026 (8 January 2026): https://bernama.com/misc/rss/news.php?id=2510229