KUCHING, April 20 ― The decision to give additional public holiday in conjunction with Aidilfitri is not a populist one and the government has no intention of making the private sector bear the losses, said Deputy Finance Minister I Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

"I don't see this decision disturbing the private sector and I think the festive atmosphere is felt by all communities.

"So it’s not troubling and hurting (the private sector) and it's the same as giving free Rahmah toll for four days which aims to help the people,” he told reporters after handing over the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) at Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) here today.

Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin in an interview on a local television station said that the additional holiday would cause his company to bear losses of RM500,000.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced an additional public holiday in conjunction with Aidilfitri to make it easier for people to make preparations for the festival and to return to their hometowns.

Meanwhile, Ahmad said the government had distributed the cash contribution to about 8.7 million recipients nationwide including 63,510 recipients in Sarawak. ― Bernama