FOR expatriates settling in Malaysia, adapting to the local culture often comes with unexpected surprises.
One expat in Kuala Lumpur, @markguim, recently took to social media to share his amazement at the sheer number of public holidays Malaysians enjoy.
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“Life as an expat in Malaysia: Our KL office is back from the public holiday this week, and I just learned there’s another public holiday next week,” he wrote on Threads, instantly catching the attention of netizens.
Malaysia is known for its diverse cultural and religious celebrations, leading to numerous public holidays throughout the year.
In 2025, several holidays conveniently align with weekends, creating multiple long weekends for Malaysians to enjoy. Some notable ones include Thaipusam, Labour Day, and Malaysia Day, offering the workforce extended breaks.
For expatriates unfamiliar with Malaysia’s holiday schedule, this abundance of time off can be an amusing adjustment.
Mark Guim revealed in the comments that he only learned about the upcoming holiday during a meeting, further adding to his surprise.
Netizens chimed in, with many Malaysians flooding the comments, welcoming him to the land of public holidays.
One user called ashraf_yusofr commented: “We are blessed with many holidays. Take one day off and you can get 4 days straight off.”
“Welcome to Malaysian holidays. We take a break from our holidays to work,” nick.weekendcouple wrote humorously.
“It’s my 3rd year of working in KL and I love it! I learnt from my friends that it’s also good to know the school holidays too since it also affects traffic,” reenakay.co commented.
