BAU, Dec 14 — Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg today said that the state government may consider declaring an additional day as a public holiday to celebrate Christmas provided that there is a vacancy for another public holiday in the gazette.

"I will look into the gazette to see if there is any spare holiday in the gazette as an additional public holiday for Christmas,” he said at the launch of the Blueprint development programme for Bau district.

"If there are no spare holidays, we can discuss. I cannot make a decision right now because the GPS government is subject to the rule of law.

"We have to look at our law. If there is a spare, then there is no problem, we can declare the additional day as a public holiday for Christmas.

"We will implement it because Christmas is also celebrated by Sarawakians of other faiths, not just by the Christians,” he said.

He added that there is no problem for Christians to celebrate Christmas in Sarawak.

"It is not just Christmas, we all join each other in celebrating Gawai Dayak, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya,” he said.

The chief minister was responding to calls for Sarawak to follow the step taken by neighbouring Sabah that have declared an additional day as a public holiday.

Shafie announced December 24 as an additional Christmas public holiday in Sabah.