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PASIR Gudang member of Parliament Hassan Abdul Karim refuted claims that he was ready to leave for Kelantan over Johor's decision to revert weekend off days to Saturday and Sunday starting next year.
In a statement, he said he had never made such a remark and was not moving from Johor.
"I am a member of parliament for Pasir Gudang. I will serve the people of Pasir Gudang and stay in Johor.
"I am here to stay and am committed to continuing to serve the constituency.
"I never told any media, nor did I state that I am willing to leave Johor and live in Kelantan," he said.
He reiterated his loyalty to the state, adding that: "I am a loyal Johorean and a dedicated Malaysian."
On the recent decision to shift the state's weekend to Saturday and Sunday beginning Jan 1 next year, Hassan affirmed his support for the decision while clarifying his stance.
"As a Johorean, I respect the decision of the Regent of Johor regarding the Sunday holiday.
"However, as an MP, I expressed my personal opinion. I respect the right to freedom of expression in Malaysia's democracy without intending to challenge anyone," he added.
Recently, the Regent of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim announced that Johor would be reverting its weekend to Saturday and Sunday from the current Friday and Saturday weekend.
He said the weekend will be changed to Saturday and Sunday starting from Jan 1 next year.
He also said that any parties upset or dissatisfied with the decision to revert to a Saturday-Sunday weekend are welcome to move to other states.
Hassan then criticised the decision, saying that Friday is a holy day in Islam and highly regarded by Muslims worldwide.
“Maintaining Friday as a weekend day to honour the holy day for Muslims in Johor would not make the state be left behind (economically).
“Reverting to Sunday as a weekend and making Friday a working day was something the state had done a few years back," he had said. - October 14, 2024