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The State Legislative Assembly has passed the Holidays (Amendment) Enactment 2026 to clarify replacement public holidays when they overlap with existing holidays.

Tabled by Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Joniston Bangkuai, the Bill was debated by several assemblymen before being approved without amendment.

The amendment revises the Holidays Ordinance to ensure that if a replacement holiday falls on a day that is already a public holiday, the next day will be observed instead. It aims to close legal gaps and align Sabah’s provisions with the federal Holidays Act 1951.

Joniston said the change would not create additional public holidays or affect productivity, but simply standardise how replacement holidays are observed when public holidays fall on Sundays.

He added that the amendment only concerns state-declared holidays and does not affect employers’ obligations, which remain governed under existing labour laws.