PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN MALAYSIA 2019 DATES HOLIDAY STATE 01-Jan-19 New Year's Day All States EXCEPT Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis & Terengganu 01-Feb-19 Federal Territory Day Kuala Lumpur, Labuan & Putrajaya 21-Jan-19 Thaipusam * Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Penang & Selangor 05-Feb-19 Chinese New Year ALL States 06-Feb-19 Chinese New Year 2nd Day ALL States 19-Apr-19 Easter - Good Friday Sabah & Sarawak 15-Apr-19 Declaration of Melaka as a Historical City Melaka 26-Apr-19 Sultan of Terengganu's Birthday Terengganu 01-May-19 Labour Day ALL States 19-May-19 Wesak Day ALL States 30-May-19 Harvest Festival Sabah & Labuan 31-May-19 Harvest Festival 2nd Day Sabah & Labuan 01-Jun-19 Hari Gawai Sarawak 02-Jun-19 Hari Gawai 2nd Day Sarawak 06-May-19 Awal Ramadan (start of Ramadan)* Johor, Kedah & Melaka 22-May-19 Nuzul Al-Quran Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Putrajaya, Selangor & Terengganu 07-Jul-19 Georgetown World Heritage City Day Penang 13-Jul-19 Penang Governor's Birthday ALL States 05-Jun-19 Hari Raya Aidilfitri (end of Ramadan)* ALL States 06-Jun-19 Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2nd Day (end of ALL States Ramadan)* 31-Aug-19 National Day/Merdeka Day ALL States 16-Sep-19 Malaysia Day ALL States 11-Aug-19 Hari Raya Haji * ALL States 12-Aug-19 Hari Raya Haji 2nd Day * Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis & Terengganu 02-Sep-19 Awal Muharram * ALL States 24-Oct-19 Sultan of Pahang's Birthday Pahang 27-Oct-19 Deepavali * All States (EXCEPT Sarawak) 28-Oct-19 Deepavali (REPLACEMENT) All States (EXCEPT Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Sarawak & Terengganu) 11-Nov-19 Prophet Muhammad's Birthday ALL States 25-Dec-19 Christmas ALL States FESTIVALS IN MALAYSIA 2019 JANUARY • 15-18 Jan 19: Ponggal is a four-day Hindu thanksgiving event with festivities climaxing on 17 Jan 2018 with a celebratory event at Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Penang and at various locales around the country. • Surfing enthusiasts should get along to see the thrills and spills at the Tioman Surfestival between TBC taking advantage of the rough monsoon seas which impact the idyllic island at this time of year. • Also on the water is the Royal Langkawi International Regatta held on the island from 7 - 12 Jan 2019. • If you don't mind huge crowds you could witness Thaipusam Festival 2019 which includes a 15km chariot procession from Kuala Lumpur up to the amazing Batu Caves. This event will be attended by over a million people on 21 Jan 2019. Festivities will take place elsewhere in Malaysia including Little India in Penang. FEBRUARY • 16th February 2019: Kuching Heritage Race let team’s race through Kuching while solving clues and learning about the city’s heritage along the way. 16TH February 2019 • Chinese New Year falls on 05 February 19 this year. Several celebrations take place throughout the month including the Chinese New Year Carnival in Kota Kinabalu’s Gaya Street. You can see how Malaysians welcome in the Year of the Pig with joyful celebrations, lion dances, fireworks and lots of food. Some of the main temples have splendid light and lantern displays at this time of year, including Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang and Thean Hou Temple in KL. • The Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is scheduled to take place at George Town's Padang Polo on 09 and 10 Feb 2019. • In Johor, the Pasir Gudang International Kite Festival is due to be held for the whole month of February. MARCH • The 24TH edition of the prestigious 1200 km cycle race, Le Tour De Langkawi 2019, gets underway on 24 Mar and ends on 31 Mar 2019. This year the race does not actually go to Langkawi. • If you think you are fit enough, the Borneo Ultra-Trail Marathon takes place again this year in the spectacular scenery of the Kiulu Valley north of Kota Kinabalu • In Sabah, the Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival is lined up at the Sutera Marina Golf & Country Club. Date TBC APRIL • ANZAC Day, 25 Apr 2019, is to be marked in a poignant ceremony at Sandakan Memorial Park, the starting point of the infamous Death Marches. • One of Malaysia’a top fishing events, the Sabah International Fishing Tournament is scheduled to be held at the fishing grounds at Layang-Layang Reef. Dates TBC • You don’t have to go to Thailand to experience Songkran Water Festival as there will be plenty of water splashed about at Wat Chayamangkalaran Thai Buddhist Temple in Penang on 13-15 Apr 2019. • The Labuan Water Festival is the top event in Labuan's calendar with exciting activities like the Labuan International Deep Sea Fishing Tournament, the Cross Channel Swimming Challenge, the Round Island Kayak, Kayak Sprint and other watersports. Dates TBC • Regatta Lepa is usually held in Semporna, Sabah in April each year (2019 dates to be confirmed. The lepa is the traditional sailing boat of the Bajau people and a number of cultural events are held at this time. • Also on 28 April 2019 in Kota Kinabalu, if you are up for it, is the Borneo International Marathon 2019. MAY • The spotlight is on Miri in Sarawak this month where the Borneo Jazz Festival, now in its 14th year, is to be staged at the Pullman Miri Waterfront Hotel. • Wesak Day marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. This year, Wesak Day falls on 19 May 2019 and activities will be held in Buddhist temples all over the country such as at Maha Vihara Buddhist Temple in Brickfields. • International kiting competitors descend on Kelantan in May for the Kelantan International Kite Fest at Pantai Geting Tumpat. • The fasting month of Ramadan is one of the highlights of the annual calendar and special food stalls and bazaars spring up all over Malaysia during this time. Ramadan this year will last approximately from 30 May - 05 June 2019. • The Harvest festival celebrated in Malaysia by the Kadazan of Sabah each May with thanksgiving dedicated to the rice gods. Agricultural shows, exhibitions, cultural programs, buffalo races, and other traditional games are held. There is much merrymaking and feasting with rice wine flowing freely throughout the festivities. JUNE • Gawai Dayak, 1st Jun 2019, is a harvest festival celebrated all over Sarawak by the state's indigenous people in traditional costumes. • Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a nationwide celebration marking the end of the fasting month. This year it falls around 04 - 05 June 2019. JULY • The Rainforest World Music Festival, one of the largest musical events in Malaysia, will be held in the shadow of legendary Mt. Santubong near Kuching, Sarawak from 12-14 July 2019. • Also in Sarawak, the Borneo Cultural Festival is a week-long free event showcasing the food, music and dances of the multicultural communities who are unique to Sarawak. It takes place in Sibu Town Square. • The Sabah International Folklore Festival will take place in Kota Kinabalu. World culture enthusiasts should not miss this folklore event. • July 6th has been declared Agnes Keith Day (her birthday) and visitors are invited to visit the famous author’s former residence in Sandakan which has been turned into a museum. • St. Anne's Church in Bukit Mertajam, Penang is the focal point for the annual 10-day St Anne's Novena and Feast Day celebrations which takes place at the end of July annually. Dates for 2019 are to be confirmed. AUGUST • In Penang, the George Town Festival celebrates George Town's living heritage and features multi-cultural arts and dances, delicious food and traditional activities. It is tentatively happening in Aug 2019. • National Day, or Hari Merdeka, is on 31st August 2019 and as usual, parades and other activities will be held to celebrate the day on which the country achieved its independence from Britain. • Kechara Community Organisation is holding Ullambana (Ghost Festival) celebrations at Kechara House in Petaling Jaya on 24 August 2019 and at Kechara Forest Retreat in Bentong, Pahang on 25 August 2019. SEPTEMBER • Vinayagar Chaturthi is when thousands of Hindu worshippers gather at temples such as Kortumalai Pillayar Temple in Jalan Pudu Lama to make offerings to the deity Lord Ganesh. OCTOBER • Extreme fitness fanatics can try the 30th Mt Kinabalu International Climbathon, a challenging 23km run on Malaysia's highest mountain. Dates for the 2019 event are to be confirmed. • The Tamu Besar traditional open-air market is to be held in Kota Belud, Sabah. Highlights include Bajau Horsemen (known as Cowboys of the East), a beauty pageant and water buffalo race. • Deepavali (Diwali) or the 'Festival of Lights' falls on 26 Oct 2019 this year. Open houses are held where family and friends visit each other and enjoy delicious traditional food. NOVEMBER • Annual Remembrance Day ceremonies will be held at the Labuan Commonwealth War Graves on 11 Nov 2019 to remember those who fell in the defence and liberation of Borneo during WWII. • Malaysia's main shopping festival, 'Malaysia Year-End Sale' is expected to begin around 1 Nov 2019 and continue until the year end. • November is when the Sarawak Regatta is was staged last year. It consists of racing in traditional longboats along Kuching's waterfront. Dates for 2019 to be confirmed. DECEMBER • In the run up to Christmas, i-City in Shah Alam, with its forest of digital lights and Snowalk attractions, is especially popular at this time of year. Homeowners in the Portuguese Settlement in Melaka take pride in decorating their houses inside and out at Christmas. Elsewhere, some of the best Xmas decoration displays can be found in KL's top shopping malls such as Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.