Onn Hafiz said the state government respects the decree of the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

“The state government believes that not all matters should be politicised. Every decision is made in the best interest of the state and with the people of Johor in mind,” he said in a statement on Facebook.

Onn Hafiz said the decision was reached after discussing it with the Johor mufti and the state Islamic affairs committee chairman.

“God willing, without discounting the importance of Friday prayers, the state government is confident that this decision will benefit all Johoreans, allowing them more quality time with their loved ones and facilitating better planning for weekend activities,” he said.

Last night, Tunku Ismail said reverting Johor’s weekend to Saturday and Sunday reflects the desire by Johoreans to spend more time with their families,

He also said those who are upset or dissatisfied with the change are “welcomed” to move to states that still have Friday and Saturday as their weekend.

The states currently observing the Friday and Saturday weekend include Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah.