Holidays Act 1998

Holidays Act 1998

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

An Act relating to the observance of public holidays in Singapore.

[10 April 1998]

Short title

1.  This Act is the Holidays Act 1998.

Interpretation

2.  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“public authority” means any board or authority established by or under any written law to perform or discharge any public function;

“public holiday” means —

(a) any of the days specified in the Schedule; or

(b) any other day declared by section 4(2) or under section 5 to be a public holiday.

Application of Act to Government

3.  This Act binds the Government.

General public holidays

4.—(1)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, the days specified in the Schedule are declared to be public holidays in Singapore.

(2)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, if any day specified in the Schedule falls on a Sunday, the day next following not being itself a public holiday is declared a public holiday in Singapore.

Other public holidays

5.—(1)  The President may, by notification in the Gazette, declare any day in any particular year to be observed as a public holiday in Singapore in addition to, or in substitution for, any day specified in the Schedule.

(2)  Where in any year 2 public holidays fall on the same day, the President may, by notification in the Gazette, declare any day in that year to be observed as an additional public holiday.

Holiday in substitution of public holiday

6.  Nothing in this Act prevents or affects the validity of any agreement made between any employer with any of the employer’s employees giving the employee any other holiday or holidays in substitution for any one or more public holidays.

Official acts, etc., on Sundays or public holidays

7.  Subject to any other written law, nothing in this Act renders invalid any act or thing relating to any Government department or public authority, any judicial proceeding, any transaction, instrument or any other act or thing (whether or not of a similar kind) where it is done or executed on a Sunday or public holiday.

Validation

8.  To avoid doubt, it is declared that no act or thing relating to any Government department or public authority, no judicial proceeding, no transaction or instrument and no other act or thing (whether or not of a similar kind) is invalid by reason only that it was done or executed on a Sunday or public holiday before 10 April 1998.

Saving for Employment Act 1968

9.  This Act does not affect the operation of any of the provisions of the Employment Act 1968 relating to rest days, hours of work, shift workers, holidays and other conditions of service.

THE SCHEDULE

Sections 2 and 4

Public holidays

New Year’s Day

Chinese New Year (2 days)

Hari Raya Puasa

Hari Raya Haji

Good Friday

Labour Day

Vesak Day

National Day

Deepavali

Christmas Day

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Holidays Act 1998

 

This Legislative History is a service provided by the Law Revision Commission on a best-efforts basis. It is not part of the Act.

Pictorial Overview of Predecessor Acts

Legislative History Details

PART 1
HOLIDAYS ORDINANCE 1951
(M. ORDINANCE 55 OF 1951)

1.  

Ordinance IX of 1879—The Holidays Ordinance, 1879

Bill

:

G.N. No. 255/1879

First Reading

:

24 July 1879

Second Reading

:

7 August 1879

Notice of Amendments

:

7 August 1879

Third Reading

:

21 August 1879

Commencement

:

21 August 1879

2.  

Ordinance XXVI of 1902—The Holidays Ordinance 1879 Amendment Ordinance 1902

Bill

:

G.N. No. 815/1902

First Reading

:

18 July 1902

Second Reading

:

25 July 1902

Third Reading

:

5 September 1902

Commencement

:

5 September 1902

3.  

Ordinance XXXI of 1910—The Holidays Ordinance 1879 Amendment Ordinance 1910

Bill

:

G.N. No. 1199/1910

First Reading

:

14 October 1910

Second Reading

:

21 October 1910

Third Reading

:

9 December 1910

Commencement

:

15 December 1910

4.  

Ordinance VIII of 1914—The Holidays (Amendment) Ordinance 1914

Bill

:

G.N. No. 26/1914

First Reading

:

30 January 1914

Second Reading

:

13 February 1914

Notice of Amendments

:

27 February 1914

Third Reading

:

13 March 1914

Commencement

:

25 March 1914

5.  

1920 Revised Edition—Ordinance No. 24 (Holidays)

Operation

:

28 November 1921

6.  

1926 Revised Edition—Ordinance No. 24 (Holidays)

Operation

:

1 August 1926

7.  

G.N. No. 2371/1927—“Ordinance No. 24 (Holidays)”

Commencement

:

30 December 1927

8.  

G.N. No. 2018/1929—“Ordinance No. 24 (Holidays)”

Commencement

:

11 October 1929

9.  

1936 Revised Edition—Holidays Ordinance (Chapter 174)

Operation

:

1 September 1936

10.  

M. Ordinance 55 of 1951—Holidays Ordinance, 1951

Commencement

:

31 December 1951

Application

:

26 December 1963

Note:

This Ordinance was extended to Singapore by the Modification of Laws (Holidays) (Singapore) Order, 1963 (L.N. 343/1963 (G.N. Sp. No. S 37/1964)) on 26 December 1963.

11.  

1955 Revised Edition—Holidays Ordinance (Chapter 270)

Operation

:

1 July 1956

12.  

G.N. No. S (N.S.) 178/1959—Singapore Constitution (Modification of Laws) (No. 4) Order, 1959

Commencement

:

20 November 1959

13.  

G.N. No. S (N.S.) 179/1959—Singapore Constitution (Modification of Laws) (No. 5) Order, 1959

Commencement

:

20 November 1959

14.  

L.N. 343/1963 (G.N. Sp. No. S 37/1964)—Modification of Laws (Holidays) (Singapore) Order, 1963

Commencement

:

26 December 1963

Note:

This Order repealed the Holidays Ordinance (Chapter 270, 1955 Revised Edition) and extended the Federation of Malaya Holidays Ordinance, 1951 (M. Ordinance 55 of 1951) to Singapore.

PART 2
HOLIDAYS ACT
(CHAPTER 126, 1985 REVISED EDITION)

15.  

Act 54 of 1966—Holidays Act, 1966

Bill

:

54/1966

First Reading

:

5 December 1966

Second and Third Readings

:

21 December 1966

Commencement

:

6 January 1967

16.  

Act 24 of 1968—Holidays (Amendment) Act, 1968

Bill

:

33/1968

First Reading

:

11 July 1968

Second and Third Readings

:

1 August 1968

Commencement

:

15 August 1968

17.  

1970 Revised Edition—Holidays Act (Chapter 307)

Operation

:

31 August 1971

18.  

1985 Revised Edition—Holidays Act (Chapter 126)

Operation

:

30 March 1987

PART 3
HOLIDAYS ACT 1998
(2020 REVISED EDITION)

19.  

Act 8 of 1998—Holidays Act 1998

Bill

:

1/1998

First Reading

:

14 January 1998

Second and Third Readings

:

19 February 1998

Commencement

:

10 April 1998

20.  

1999 Revised Edition—Holidays Act (Chapter 126)

Operation

:

30 December 1999

21.  

2020 Revised Edition—Holidays Act 1998

Operation

:

31 December 2021

Abbreviations

	(updated on 29 August 2022)
G.N.	Gazette Notification
G.N. Sp.	Gazette Notification (Special Supplement)
L.A.	Legislative Assembly
L.N.	Legal Notification (Federal/Malaysian)
M.	Malaya/Malaysia (including Federated Malay States, Malayan Union, Federation of Malaya and Federation of Malaysia)
Parl.	Parliament
S	Subsidiary Legislation
S.I.	Statutory Instrument (United Kingdom)
S (N.S.)	Subsidiary Legislation (New Series)
S.S.G.G.	Straits Settlements Government Gazette
S.S.G.G. (E)	Straits Settlements Government Gazette (Extraordinary)