Working Time Rules: Malaysia
Malaysia: working hours, holiday calendars and annual leave rules for practical workforce planning.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Working week used in calculations40 hours per week8 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leave8, 12 or 16 days by serviceGovernment guidance for the Employment Act gives eight, twelve or sixteen annual leave days depending on length of service. This is separate from paid public holidays. Check eligibility and the applicable regional law; do not subtract all gazetted state holidays and then deduct the same dates again from personal leave.Source
Statutory working time
Current government guidance for Peninsular Malaysia gives normal working hours not exceeding forty-five per week. The calculator’s forty-hour default is editable and is not that legal ceiling. Sabah and Sarawak require their own applicable labor rules. Confirm the workplace state and agreed weekly rest day before applying substitute holidays.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.