Deepavali 2026 on Sunday 8 Nov: replacement holiday expected on 9 Nov, school holidays by state

Deepavali 8 Nov 2026: 15 states and territories have the holiday, Sarawak does not

The states and territories with the holiday are the Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya), Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Selangor and Terengganu. This list comes from the Public Holidays Schedule 2026 issued by the Cabinet, Constitution and Intergovernmental Relations Division (BKPP), Prime Minister's Department.

Deepavali is listed as a federal public holiday. In that schedule, its date is marked * with the note "Subject to change". We therefore label this date Expected and will update this page if there is an official change.

Replacement holiday on Monday 9 Nov expected in 12 states and territories

The BKPP schedule does not list replacement holidays. The rule is in section 3 of the Holidays Act 1951 (Act 369), which applies in Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territories, including Labuan. If a public holiday falls on a weekly rest day, the following day becomes a public holiday.

The Act defines the weekly rest day as Sunday, or Friday in states that observe Friday as the weekly holiday. This rule applies unless the State Authority or the Minister directs otherwise by notification in the Gazette.

In Sabah, the Holidays Ordinance (Cap. 56) also provides that if a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following day becomes a public holiday, unless the Yang di-Pertua Negeri orders otherwise.

Based on these rules, Monday, 9 Nov 2026 is expected to be a replacement holiday in the Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya), Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah and Selangor. As of 20 Oct 2026, we have not found a separate official notice of this replacement holiday on the BKPP website, so its status remains Expected.

No replacement holiday in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Sarawak

The weekend in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu is Friday and Saturday, so Sunday is a normal working day there. Deepavali is still a holiday on Sunday 8 Nov, and Monday 9 Nov is a working day.

In Sarawak, Deepavali is not a public holiday, so there is no replacement holiday.

MOE additional school holiday: 9 or 10 Nov by group

The Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) allocates one additional holiday for Deepavali in Appendix C of the 2026 Academic Calendar. The date depends on the state group of your child's school.

For Group B, MOE placed the additional holiday on Tuesday 10 Nov, the day after the expected replacement holiday. Sarawak, which does not have a Deepavali holiday, gets one MOE allocated holiday on Monday 9 Nov.

In Perak, the state public holiday for the Birthday of the Sultan of Perak falls on Friday, 6 Nov 2026. So pupils in Perak are expected to have no school from Friday 6 to Tuesday 10 Nov.

What it means for you

• If you work Monday to Friday in a state expected to get the replacement holiday, you have three days off, from Saturday 7 to Monday 9 Nov. One day of annual leave on Tuesday 10 Nov matches your leave with the Group B school holidays.
• In Perak, the break starts one day earlier because Friday 6 Nov is a state holiday.
• If you work Sunday to Thursday in Kedah, Kelantan or Terengganu, your break is Friday 6 to Sunday 8 Nov. Monday 9 Nov is a working day but schools are closed, so plan childcare early.
• In Sarawak, Monday 9 Nov is a normal working day, but schools are closed.
• Private sector employees: confirm with your employer whether Monday 9 Nov is a day off for you.
• If you are planning a long trip, set your return date by the day your child goes back to school, and check the replacement holiday status again closer to 8 Nov.

The full list of public holidays and school holidays by state is in the Malaysia public holidays hub.