Kedah has declared Jan 24 an 'occasional state holiday' in conjunction with Thaipusam.

Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir, who made the announcement, said the decision was made at the state exco meeting that he chaired in Alor Setar today.

Asked if the state government intended to gazette Thaipusam a public holiday in the state, Mukhriz said the quota for state holidays was full.

"We cannot gazette another day as public holiday because the quota is full," he told reporters at Wisma Darul Aman after the exco meeting.

Mukhriz hoped the private sector would also observe Jan 24 as a public holiday in the state.

– Bernama