KOTA KINABALU: A concept known as floating holidays has been proposed as a way to allow Malaysians with minority heritage to celebrate their cultural and religious festivals just like other citizens from larger ethnic communities.
Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau urged Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong to consider the move which he said was a practice in Indonesia and the United Nations.
He said this may create a win-win situation for many industries, with workers taking turns to celebrate their festivals.
The number of business days, he added, might be increased while members of minority communities could also celebrate their own festivals and not feel left out.
"Don’t get me wrong, I am not at all calling for increasing the total number of public holidays, which may reduce productivity," he said, in his Thaipusam greeting here on Wednesday (Jan 24).
"Instead, I am suggesting a more innovative way of managing our public holidays - keeping the total constant but allowing members of minority groups to trade some of the lesser holidays for their own festivals," he added.
Tangau, who was also chairman of Sabah-based think-tank Wisdom Foundation, said Thaipusam was a public holiday in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Penang and Selangor.
But In 2021, he said, the Thaipusam holiday was cancelled by the then Kedah state government.
He said it was commendable that the Kedah government had since re-designated Thaipusam as a special holiday, pointing out this reflected a mature attitude towards Malaysia’s rich multicultural heritage.
"However, Hindus who live in eight other regions/states including Sabah and also the Federal Territory of Labuan would have to work and study.
"This experience has been shared by the hundreds of thousands of Kadazan-Dusun-Rungus people, the Muruts, and the Dayaks, who live outside of their home region during Kaamatan, Kalimaran and Gawai.
"It is time for Malaysia to be more diverse, equitable and inclusive towards the celebration of minorities’ cultural and religious festivals," Tangau said.
As such, he hoped the Human Resources Minister would take time to study the floating holiday proposal and consider its implementation, saying it would be a clear manifestation of the Madani spirit the unity government wanted to promote.
He also called on the Sabah and Sarawak government to show leadership by example by implementing floating holidays.
"This is in honour of our rich heritage, making a case for state governments in Peninsular Malaysia to reciprocate for Kaamatan, Kalimaran and Gawai.
"Hopefully, before the law changes, some employers who support multiculturalism will also take their own initiative to introduce this innovative practice in their company.
"Hopefully, when we celebrate the next Thaipusam, all Hindus in every region, state and federal territory in Malaysia have the choice to celebrate it at home," Tangau said.
