Published On: 02/12/2025By

Christmas is one of Malaysia’s busiest year-end festive periods. While employees look forward to travelling, gatherings, and extended breaks, HR teams often face the challenge of balancing annual leave requests with business continuity.

To help employers prepare, this guide breaks down the official Christmas public holidays for 2025, which states observe additional holidays, how employees commonly plan their leave, and practical HR strategies to maintain smooth operations during the festive season.

Why HR Must Plan Ahead for Christmas Leave

In 2025, Christmas Day falls on Thursday, 25 December 2025.
This timing typically leads to:

  • Employees applying leave on Friday (26 December)

  • Long weekends from 24–28 December

  • Extended leave leading into New Year’s Eve and New Year

  • Higher travel-related absences and sudden leave requests

For HR and employers, this means:

  • Increased annual leave applications

  • Higher risk of understaffing if approvals aren’t coordinated

  • Pressure on shift-based and customer-facing teams

  • Greater need for early planning and clear communication

Proactive planning ensures fair leave approval, sufficient shift coverage, and uninterrupted business operations.

Christmas Public Holidays in Malaysia 2025

1. Standard Christmas Holiday (Nationwide)

Christmas Day — 25 December 2025 (Thursday)
This is a national public holiday across Malaysia.

2. Additional Holiday (Sabah Only)

Sabah also observes:

  • 24 December 2025 (Wednesday) – Christmas Eve

This gives Sabah employees a 2-day public holiday (24–25 December).

States That Observe Christmas Holiday in 2025

All Malaysian states and federal territories observe 25 December as a public holiday:

  • Johor

  • Kedah

  • Kelantan

  • Melaka

  • Negeri Sembilan

  • Pahang

  • Perak

  • Perlis

  • Penang

  • Sabah

  • Sarawak

  • Selangor

  • Terengganu

  • Kuala Lumpur

  • Putrajaya

  • Labuan

Only Sabah observes Christmas Eve (24 December) as an additional holiday.

HR Tips: How Employers Should Prepare for Christmas Leave 2025

1. Encourage Early Leave Applications (Before 5 December)

Help managers schedule manpower by requesting employees to submit leave early.
This avoids last-minute conflicts and ensures fair approval for everyone.

2. Update and Share the Company Holiday Calendar

Your internal HR calendar should clearly state:

  • 25 December — National public holiday

  • 24 December — Sabah only

Share updated calendars through email, HR portal, or your HRMS (Pandahrms).

3. Plan Manpower for the Festive Week

Expect high leave usage between 24–28 December.
HR should plan:

  • Shift rotations

  • Backup coverage for key roles

  • Possible temp/contract staff

  • Reduced workload for non-critical tasks

This ensures business continuity even with reduced headcount.

4. Set Clear Leave Approval Guidelines

A transparent approval process avoids misunderstanding.
HR should ensure:

  • Leave is approved based on business needs

  • No department is left under-staffed

  • Blackout dates (if any) are communicated early

  • Employees are treated fairly and consistently

5. Align Leave Planning With Business Demand

Industries like retail, logistics, e-commerce, hospitality, and customer support typically face year-end peaks.

Remind employees to plan leave with operational needs in mind.

How Pandahrms Helps HR During Peak Leave Seasons

With year-end leave requests coming in quickly, Pandahrms makes it easier for HR to stay organised:

  • Real-time leave balance visibility for employees and managers

  • Automated leave approval workflows

  • Customisable policies for different states (including Sabah’s additional holiday)

  • Team leave calendar to prevent overlap and understaffing

  • Instant notifications for approvals, rejections, or changes

Pandahrms helps HR teams maintain accuracy, fairness, and efficiency — especially during festive periods like Christmas.

FAQs on Christmas Leave 2025 (Malaysia)

1. Is Christmas a public holiday in all Malaysian states?

Yes. 25 December is a national public holiday.
However, only Sabah observes 24 December as an additional holiday.

2. How many Christmas holidays do employees get?

One day (25 December), except in Sabah which has two days (24–25 December).
Any additional days taken are annual leave.

3. Can employers reject Christmas leave applications?

Yes — if there are valid operational needs.
Clear communication and early planning help avoid conflict.

4. Do shift workers receive public holiday benefits?

Yes. Employees who work on 25 December must be compensated according to the Employment Act — either with public holiday rates or replacement leave, depending on your policy.

5. Does Christmas leave apply to remote or hybrid workers?

Yes. Public holiday entitlements apply to all employees, regardless of work arrangement.