"I can't get anything done!"

Do we have too many public holidays?

Well, the business sector surely thinks so, based on an AFP report titled Malaysia's holiday bonanza no fun for business.

While the business folks blame the lost of income on the high number of public holidays, a political economist argues that holidays are an important stress buster for the overworked.

Meanwhile a lawyer laments, “I can't get anything done!”

Read for yourself the AFP article and tell me what do you think (excerpts):

“Malaysia, Southeast Asia's third-largest economy, has 16 national holidays when the stock market, banks, schools and businesses are closed.

In addition, each state has its own set of holidays, so residents of central Selangor state which governs much of the capital Kuala Lumpur are generally entitled to four or five additional holidays.

As if that weren't enough, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last month declared the colourful Hindu festival of Thaipusam a public holiday just a few days beforehand, sending people scrambling to shift functions and events.

There are no figures on the costs involved, but in February last year exports shrank 14.41 percent to 41.1 billion ringgit (4.24 billion dollars) compared with the previous month due to "shorter working days and festivities", according to government data.

"On the stock market millions of ringgit in business transactions are lost and we miss the opportunity to make money. This could affect our market's performance," said businessman Michael Chiam.”