A 31-year-old man from Johor was left shocked and frustrated after discovering that his salary was deducted simply because he performed his obligatory Friday prayers.
The man, Saleh Zuhri, said he first noticed the pay cut in his September payslip, and now fears another deduction this month as October has five Fridays.
“I was stunned when I realised my pay was cut just for going to Friday prayers.”
Salary deduction shown in payslip
Saleh shared a copy of his payslip, which clearly lists “Time Off” under the Deductions column confirming that attending Friday prayers was counted as unpaid leave.
HR confirms deduction for Friday prayers
When he contacted the company’s HR department for clarification, he was told that the time taken for Solat Jumaat is indeed deducted unless the employee replaces the hours after work, reported Lobak Merah.
“If the employee works extra hours to replace the time, then it won’t be deducted. Otherwise, yes, it’s cut from the salary,” the HR representative confirmed in the chat.
Other Muslim employees face the same issue
Saleh, who works at a company based in Plentong, Johor Bahru, said several other Muslim employees including those who have been with the company for years also experience the same issue.
He explained that because of this policy, many male Muslim workers choose to skip Friday prayers, going only once or twice a month to avoid losing money.
It’s disheartening. Everyone’s afraid of deductions, so some just don’t go.”
“I called JTK Johor, but no one picked up”
Saleh said he tried reaching out to the Johor Labour Department (JTK) for clarification on whether such salary deductions were legal, but couldn’t get through.
“While waiting, I kept pushing HR to raise the issue with the bosses,” he said.
“The JTK guidelines are too general. What my company is doing may not be outright illegal but it’s unethical.”
He added that if the management continues to refuse permission for prayers, employees would be left with no choice but to find work elsewhere.
“The deduction could fill my petrol tank”
Although Saleh did not reveal the exact amount deducted, he said it significantly affects his monthly spending.
The two Fridays deducted last month were enough for a full tank of petrol, one week’s worth of commuting from Kulai to Plentong. This month, with five Fridays, that’s almost three full tanks gone.”
Hoping authorities will step in
Saleh said this practice isn’t unique to his workplace, several companies in the area reportedly enforce similar rules.
“I just hope my story reaches the right people not just for me, but for all Muslims facing the same problem,” he said.
“The boss worries about losing an hour, but not about losing his values”
The issue quickly gained attention online, with many Malaysians calling out the company for its lack of empathy and poor ethics.
One user urged Saleh to take formal action:
“Report it to the Labour Department (JTK). Once a report is filed, they’ll call for all payslips and attendance records to be reviewed. If the employer threatens you, report it again. And if they fire you? File an Unfair Dismissal case with the Industrial Relations Department (JPP) within 60 days of the termination letter.”
Another netizen highlighted that the main problem lies in the lack of legal recognition for Friday prayer time:
“The issue is that Friday prayer hours aren’t included in the labour law, only in JTK’s general guidelines. So technically, employers aren’t breaking the law, but it’s still unethical. I’ve worked in three Chinese-owned companies, and not one of them deducted pay for Friday prayers even when we returned to work late.”
Many also agreed that the authorities should take a firmer stance to ensure Muslim employees aren’t penalised for performing religious obligations during working hours.
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