He said it is already standard practice for Christians to apply for half-day leave on Christmas Eve (Dec 24) and thus there was no need to declare it a public holiday.

“Christmas is celebrated on Dec 25. So, people would better appreciate a holiday the day after.

“Dec 26 will be the day to enjoy some time with the family so it would be more appropriate to declare it as a public holiday.”

The Limbahau PBS protem chief said Dec 25 and Dec 26 were public holidays in Sabah in the past until the late 1970s, when the additional holiday was revoked by the state government.

Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal announced Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (Dec 24 and 25) as public holidays in Sabah during the launch of the Kota Kinabalu Christmas celebration recently.

Shafie said having two days of public holidays for Christmas would allow Christians to return to their hometowns to celebrate the festivities.

On Dec 12, a Sarawak political activist had criticised the announcement, saying it was aimed at providing a “feel good” factor among Sabah Christians, ahead of the Kimanis by-election.

Movement for Change Sarawak chairman Francis Paul Siah also said Malaysia already has too many public holidays.