KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian government has decided to shift the unrecorded leave for Deepavali to November 14 (Tuesday) for Hindu civil servants in states where Sunday is the standard weekend rest day. This adjustment applies to the occasion of Deepavali, which falls on November 13 (Monday) this year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Director General of Public Service (KPPA) Datuk Dr Zulkapli Mohamed confirmed this in a circular published on the Public Service Department (PSD) portal. He clarified that such unrecorded leaves are typically bound to the authorized day and cannot be transferred to the next day if they coincide with a public holiday or weekend.

Zulkapli stated that the government, on November 3, consented to an exemption for the year 2023, allowing the shift of the unrecorded leave to the following day. This decision has been communicated to all state public services, statutory bodies, and local authorities.

He explained that since 2018, the government has been granting Hindu civil servants a one-day unrecorded leave on the day following Deepavali, enabling them to fully celebrate the Festival of Lights. This policy is outlined in the Human Resource Services Circular (MyPPSM) SR 5.3.6.

This additional unrecorded leave is applicable in all Malaysian states except Sarawak, where Deepavali is not observed as a public holiday.