Cover image via Mohd Rasfan/AFP & Syaiful Redzuan/Anadolu/AFP
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The Thaipusam celebration for 2026 is scheduled to fall on Sunday, 1 February 2026
As it is one of the major religious and cultural celebrations in Malaysia, the holiday status for that day often draws public attention as people plan their personal and family matters.
However, under Malaysia's public holiday structure, Thaipusam is not gazetted as a nationwide public holiday. Instead, it falls under the jurisdiction of individual state governments to designate it as a state public holiday.
List of states that will not observe a Thaipusam public holiday
For 2026, seven states have officially not allocated Thaipusam as a public holiday in their annual calendars. Residents in the following states will carry out daily activities, schooling, and work as usual on Monday, 2 February 2026:
- Perlis
- Kelantan
- Terengganu
- Pahang
- Melaka
- Sabah
- Sarawak
As for Kedah, although it is not permanently listed as a public holiday, the state government has a record of granting an Occasional Holiday in previous years as a mark of respect for the community celebrating the occasion.
In fact, for this year as well, the Kedah state government has approved the granting of an occasional holiday on 1 February in conjunction with the Thaipusam celebration.
The approval was agreed upon during the State Executive Council meeting chaired by the Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md. Nor on 21 January.
Replacement holiday status for the affected states on Monday, 2 February
For states that have gazetted Thaipusam as a public holiday, as 1 February falls on a Sunday, the following Monday automatically becomes a public holiday replacement.
The territories and states involved in this replacement holiday include:
- Kuala Lumpur
- Putrajaya
- Selangor
- Johor
- Negeri Sembilan
- Perak
- Pulau Pinang
Although nearly half of the states in Malaysia do not observe a holiday on that day, traffic flow on the country's main highways is still expected to increase. This is due to the movement of Hindu devotees and tourists heading to major celebration centres such as Batu Caves in Selangor and Kuil Air Terjun in Pulau Pinang.
The public is advised to check travel schedules and the operating hours of government offices or banking institutions, especially for those who need to conduct matters in states that have announced a replacement holiday on that Monday.
