2014 Malaysia Public Holidays

The government through the Prime Minister's Department has just released the 2014 gazetted public holidays for the country as well as by state.

This would mean that it's that time of the year again to start planning for the year ahead whether you are a corporate citizen, a private employee or a parent planning your holiday with your family for next year:

This chart is for the National Public Holidays. Click on image to enlarge.

This is the schedule by state - two parts..

Referring to the charts above can be confusing I know, so I've crunched them down to a simpler version. Here it is, 2014 public holidays celebrated nationally, in Kuala Lumpur and in Selangor (the latter including Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang). I'm sorry if you are located in other states, you can still refer to the charts above.

2014 Malaysia Public Holidays as well as for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor..

I haven't received the schedule for school holidays for next year so you may want to check back.


Related article:
2013 Malaysia National Public Holidays & School Holidays

Non-Muslims can’t use ‘Allah’

This article in The Star today caught my attention, Non-Muslims can’t use ‘Allah’. If you haven't read it, the article in its entirety is as follows:

SHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor has decreed that non-Muslims in the state have been barred from using “Allah”, saying it is a sacred word exclusive to Muslims.

A statement yesterday from Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) secretary Datuk Mohd Misri Idris said Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had expressed shock and regret over DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's recent statement urging the Government to allow the word “Allah” to be used in the Malay version of the Bible.

Lim, who is the Penang Chief Minister, had stated this in his New Year message.

The Ruler had called for an emergency meeting with officials of Mais, the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) and the Selangor mufti on Sunday.

“The Sultan made a decision and decreed that the word Allah' is a sacred word specific to Muslims and it is prohibited to be used by any non-Muslim in Selangor, as stated in a fatwa and gazetted on Feb 18, 2010,” Mohd Misri said.

“Tuanku is disappointed that the decree had been taken lightly by some parties until the issue was brought up again,” he said, adding that the Sultan also stated that Mais and Jais could take stern action against anyone who questions the fatwa that was issued according to state laws.

To know in detail these state laws and fatwa over the word “Allah”, visit www.mais.gov.my.

The Ruler's decree came ahead of a Pakatan Rakyat meeting at which the word “Allah” had been allowed to be used by even non-Muslims.

PAS ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib expressed shock that Pakatan leaders, including party chief Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, had reached that consensus.

He said the matter was never discussed, not even in the Syura council - the party's supreme body.

“As far as I can remember, we never reached a decision on the matter,'' he said, adding that it was wrong to misuse the kalimah “Allah” for any politically-motivated agenda.

In SEREMBAN, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that Sultan Sharafuddin had every right, as head of the state's Islamic affairs, to issue the decree.


The State of Selangor is circled in red. Selangor is where Kuala Lumpur is located. Kuala Lumpur, being the capital city of Malaysia, is administered separately as a Federal Territory.

Source

Update:
Related articles:
- PAS and allies: Anyone can use ‘Allah’, just don’t misuse word
- Council of Churches to continue using 'Allah'



N.B.: "Reader comments" has been deactivated for this post.

Klang flooded after heavy downpour

I remember my late grandmother used to say that rainy weather is associated with this time of the year, among a few other occasions throughout the year. This is based on the Lunar calendar. My observations tell me that these weather condition predictions linking to the months of the year are pretty accurate.

These few weeks of the third lunar month mark the time for tomb-sweeping or the annual ritual where families of Buddhist/Toaist faith visit ancestral grave-sites to clean up the site(s) and to make offerings - of food, drink, flowers, incense and candles and 'gold paper' (currency in the afterlife) as well as other papercraft items to ensure the spirit of the deceased has lots of good things in the afterlife.

Of late, heavy downpour has been wreaking havoc in a lot of regions in Malaysia. The latest being the Klang district, located about 32km to the west of Kuala Lumpur.

A downpour coupled with high tide caused widespread flooding in Klang and Port Klang and forced banks and businesses to turn away customers. Ten schools were forced to cancel classes and hundreds of families were badly affected as drains overflowed and the water entered houses and shops.

Water is not the only thing to contend with as the sudden rise in water level caused reptiles to come out from the drains onto the roads. Nine pythons have been caught in the town area and a man caught six monitor lizards making him a happy man as he could sell them for money.

It has been said this is the worst flood in 45 years. Some images from The Star..

Source: The Star..Floods wreak havoc in Klang