JOHOR BARU, Oct 7 — Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said today that the state government and mufti will work towards ensuring that the change of weekends back to Saturday and Sunday takes into account Friday prayers for Muslims.

In a statement, Onn Hafiz said any discussions on the adjustments will ensure that Fridays are respecting as the holiest of days among Muslims.

"The state government, together with the Johor mufti and relevant agencies, will detail appropriate working hours, especially on Fridays, to ensure ample time for Muslims to perform Friday prayers at the right time,” he said.

"God willing, while ensuring the importance of prayer is not neglected, this adjustment will also reduce scheduling conflicts in the public and private sectors, provide more family time, and help facilitate cross-border activities and business operations.”

Onn Hafiz also said that the reversion will affect 587,343 students and 1.948 million workers, most of whom are in the government and private sectors.

In a separate statement, newly-appointed Johor DAP chief Teo Nie Ching said she hopes the change will attract more foreign investments.

This comes as Johor reportedly recorded a trade value of RM753 billion, accounting for 29 per cent of the country’s total trade in 2023.

"May the administration of public and private sectors, schooling, and various other aspects for the Johor community as a whole run more smoothly after this decree is implemented,” she said.

Earlier today, the Regent of Johor Tunku Ismail Ibrahim said the state will revert its weekend days to Saturday and Sunday starting January 1, 2025, following the royal assent of the state Ruler, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia.

Tunku Ismail said the change was made with input from the Johor Islamic Religious Department and other stakeholders.

The original weekend shift to Friday and Saturday in 2014 came after a decree by Sultan Ibrahim in conjunction with his 55th birthday.

This recent adjustment follows growing feedback from various sectors including education, industry, and banking, and is aimed at aligning with the federal government’s weekend schedule of Saturday and Sunday.