KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Schools can break for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays earlier than scheduled, with approval from state education departments.

Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said any early closure from Sept 18 would be at the discretion of the schools.

The Hari Raya break starts from Sept 19 until Sept 27. Hari Raya is expected to fall on Sept 20.

Alimuddin said the school authorities needed only to apply to the state education directors on the "cuti peristiwa".

"Each school is allowed to take four days off in a year for any event or function under cuti peristiwa."

He was responding to a call by the National Union of the Teaching Profession for the Raya holidays to start a day earlier.

President Hashim Adnan said as the afternoon school session only ended at 5.30pm next Friday, the last-minute exodus home was inevitable.