Putrajaya (Malaysia), Oct. 8 : Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has reportedly cleared a proposal that instructs state education directors to approve requests from schools for an extra day off on October 20 to celebrate Deepavali.

“The decision was made to enable parents to make plans for their families to travel earlier and avoid traffic jams,” The Star quoted him, as saying after he had inspected students sitting for the first day of the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) at SMK Presint 8 (1) yesterday.

Deepavali will be celebrated next Saturday.

Yassin, who is also the country’s Education Minister, said schools could opt to take either occasional holidays (cuti peristiwa), which need not be replaced, or replacement holidays.

“Schools taking the replacement holiday need to hold their classes on Oct 31,” he added.

Education director-general Alimuddin Mohammad Dom said schools had already replaced the Monday holiday for October 19 last month.

“They will be getting a four-day holiday if they apply for October 20 too,” he said. (ANI)