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KUCHING : Sarawak is proposing amendments to its Public Holidays Ordinance to provide for an automatic mechanism when public holidays fall on Sunday or coincide with other public holidays.

Speaker of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN), Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar said the amendment would address situations where separate gazette notifications are currently required to resolve overlapping public holidays.

He said the proposed amendment would streamline the arrangement whenever two public holidays coincided.

“For example, you have holidays coinciding and colliding with each other. Every time it happens, you have a notification to clarify that.

“So this amendment will resolve that. There will be no more notification. Instead, this amendment will streamline any dates where two holidays are coincidental or colliding,” he said in a press conference today at Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Sarawak’s Headquarters today.

Asfia said the amendment would also provide a clearer replacement mechanism when a public holiday falls on a Sunday.

Under the proposed provision, when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday would be observed as a public holiday.

If that Monday is already a public holiday, the following day would instead be observed as a public holiday, unless otherwise ordered by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

He said the existing provision on public holidays falling on Sunday would be moved from the First Schedule to Section 3 of the Ordinance.

Asfia cited two recent examples highlighting the issue.

In 2025, the second day of Gawai Dayak coincided with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Birthday.

In 2026, Wesak Day fell on a Sunday, while Monday and Tuesday were already public holidays for Gawai Dayak.

He said specific gazette notifications under Section 5 were therefore required to resolve such situations.

The Public Holidays Ordinance first came into force on December 16, 1946, and was subsequently amended in 1953 and 1961.

The proposed amendment also includes the deletion of the Second Schedule, as well as the renaming and amendment of the Schedule.

The Public Holidays (Amendment) Bill 2026 will be tabled for its first reading on October 12, with its second and third readings scheduled for October 13 during the final sitting of the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly.