Sultan declares Friday, Saturday as rest days in Johor from January 1

Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has declared that the state's rest days will be on Friday and Saturday instead of Saturday and Sunday from January 1, a move that would have implications for the fast growing Iskandar economic corridor.

The much-anticipated decision to revert back to the Friday-Saturday weekend was announced during the investiture ceremony in conjunction with Sultan Ibrahim’s 55th birthday.
Prior to 1994, Johor had Friday and Saturday as non-working days.
"The decision was made following feedback from various quarters to allow Muslims to perform their religious obligation on Friday in a more peaceful manner" he said in his speech at the event held at Dewan Jubli Intan Sultan Ibrahim in the royal town, the Star online reported today.
Speculation has been rife about the change after a state government document was leaked on the internet.
Currently, states such as Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu have put Friday and Saturday as their off days.
Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd had poured in billions for the Iskandar zone, which has been fashioned after Shenzhen in mainland China, across from Hong Kong.
Iskandar, which has seen booming property market, has also begun to attract small-and-medium enterprises and industries while other industries mull their investments in the area.
But the new rest days could affect future investments as it is not in sync with neighbouring Singapore or other states in the west coast of the Malay peninsula. Among businesses and services that could be affected include banking and international colleges that cater to students from the island republic.
One business that could see an increase in visitors is the Legoland resort as the new weekend will attract visitors from Johor itself while others turn up on Sundays, say analysts. - November 23, 2013.
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