The Malaysian corporate gifting year, quarter by quarter

Corporate gifting in Malaysia runs on four festive deadlines: Deepavali (8 November 2026), year-end (Christmas, 25 December), Chinese New Year (6 February 2027) and Hari Raya Aidilfitri (expected 10 March 2027). The orders bunch into two pushes, the late-year push from October to December and the January push. The quiet months, April to September, are for planning.

This guide lays out corporate gift planning in the order you will live it, so each deadline arrives with a brief already written. It is written for HR, procurement and marketing people who buy corporate gifting in Malaysia for staff, clients and suppliers, and who would like to stop doing it in a hurry.

The Two-Push Calendar for festive corporate gifts

We plan the year around what we call the Two-Push Calendar. The late-year push runs from October to December and covers Deepavali, year-end calendars and the Chinese New Year packet artwork. The January push covers Hari Raya artwork. The quiet months (April to September) have no gifting deadline, so decisions can be made without a print date pressing.

Chinese New Year to Hari Raya is 32 days, about four and a half weeks.

Festival	Date	Status	What you decide before it
Deepavali	8 November 2026 (replacement holiday 9 November)	Public holiday	Gift choice and budget, set in the quiet months
Year-end	Christmas Day, 25 December 2026	Fixed	Table calendars and client gifts, ordered by November for December delivery
Chinese New Year	Saturday 6 February 2027 (second day Sunday 7 February)	Fixed by the lunar calendar	Money packet design and quantity, artwork confirmed 12 to 26 December 2026
Hari Raya Aidilfitri	Expected Wednesday 10 March 2027 (second day Thursday 11 March)	Estimate until the moon sighting and official gazette	Sampul raya design and quantity, artwork confirmed 13 to 27 January 2027

The Hari Raya date depends on official confirmation, so check the Prime Minister's Department gazette before you print a date on anything.

When to order corporate gifts in Malaysia: January to March

January to March holds two festivals, and the four weeks immediately before each one are the busiest of the year at Gifthxs.

Artwork for Chinese New Year should be confirmed between 12 and 26 December 2026, which is the 6 to 8 weeks before 6 February. Money packets then take 10 to 14 working days from artwork approval. Count working days, not calendar days, and remember that public holidays fall inside that window.

Artwork for Hari Raya on 10 March should be confirmed between 13 and 27 January 2027, again 6 to 8 weeks out. In the second half of January you are approving sampul raya while Chinese New Year deliveries are still landing on desks and in lobbies. Briefing both festivals in December lets the two designs share a logo and colour system. Keep your approver reachable over the year-end break, because production does not start until the proof is approved. Decide the quantity once, with a margin.

If you are still choosing what to give for Chinese New Year, read our CNY corporate gift ideas. For the second festival, there is a matching piece on Hari Raya corporate gift ideas.

Quarter two: April to June, no gifting deadline

No festival artwork is due in these months. In April to June, settle four things:

• Review what you gave last year and what came back. Which gifts were mentioned, and which sat unopened?
• Rebuild the recipient list. Staff, top clients, suppliers and referrers each need a different gift.
• Collect your brand files. Gifthxs prefers vector logos, such as AI or SVG files. A JPG or PNG can be traced to vector for a small additional fee.
• Pick approvers, and a backup for each.

Quarter three: July to September

By July the recipient list is ready, and the job is to turn it into briefs. Write one page per recipient group: quantity, budget per head and delivery address type. Deepavali falls on 8 November 2026 and year-end follows, so these briefs feed the late-year push directly.

Ask for quotes now, and ask Gifthxs about sample calendars before you order hundreds. Decide at this point which gifts are printed and which are bought in. Printed items such as money packets and calendars carry your brand and can be made to a design, unlike a hamper, which is eaten and gone.

Quarter four: October to December

Three dates compete in these months: Deepavali on 8 November, year-end on 25 December, and the Chinese New Year artwork window sitting right behind them.

• October: calendar artwork and quantities settled.
• November: order calendars by now for December delivery. Deepavali gifts go out. After that, ask Gifthxs whether a rush order is possible.
• December: year-end gifts land, and the Chinese New Year packet artwork is confirmed between 12 and 26 December. With the logo, quantity and approver settled, the step that remains is the proof, which usually comes back within one working day.

Most orders need 100 percent payment before production starts. Corporate accounts can arrange 70 percent upfront and 30 percent on delivery if they email in advance.

Money packets: what to plan around

Companies that give for both Chinese New Year and Hari Raya order money packets twice a year, which makes them a good anchor for one item in each push.

Personalised money packet printing Malaysia starts at RM 488 for 500 pieces in one design with no finishing. That is 157gsm art paper with a soft-touch finish, ready in 10 to 14 working days from artwork approval, with free delivery in West Malaysia. Logo, contact details, greeting, QR code and social handles on the back panel are included at no extra cost. Larger quantities bring the per-piece cost down: RM 688 for 1,000 pieces and RM 988 for 2,000 pieces, single design, no finishing.

Finishing changes the price. Spot UV for 500 pieces is RM 688, and gold or silver stamping is RM 728. A Premium Box add-on starts at 1,000 pieces, at an extra RM 495 for a single design. Two designs, four designs and five designs each have their own price tables, so check the quantity tier on the page rather than extending the RM 488 figure to them.

You send the logo, you get a free online proof, usually within about one working day, and you have three rounds of revisions included. The proof checks placement, not colour accuracy. Exact colour matching needs Pantone printing at extra cost.

Printed packets and digital transfers do different jobs. Our short piece on digital red envelopes and printed ang pow explains what each one is for.

Table calendars: the long lead product

A table calendar takes 21 working days after logo approval, against 10 to 14 working days from artwork approval for money packets.

The minimum is 300 sets per design, and every tier from 300 earns free extra sets. Order 300 calendars, get 50 extra free, 350 in total. At 500 sets you also get 50 free, 550 in total. At 1,000 sets you get 100 free, 1,100 in total, and at 2,000 sets you get 200 free, 2,200 in total. For Journey Across Spaces, the unit price is RM 16.90 per set at 300 sets, RM 11.90 at 500, RM 7.90 at 1,000 and RM 6.20 at 2,000, with West Malaysia delivery included. Seasons In Bloom is RM 16.90, RM 11.90, RM 7.20 and RM 5.90 at the same tiers.

For year-end gifting, order by November 2026 for December delivery. We do not promise a delivery date in peak season, so treat that as a target and leave room. East Malaysia delivery and any order above 2,000 sets go through a custom order rather than checkout. We cover the timing in more depth in our guide to table calendar printing in Malaysia and when companies order.

Choosing corporate gifting in Malaysia during the quiet months

A procurement team that looks at samples in June can compare options at its own pace. A team choosing in December is inside the 12 to 26 December artwork window.

A money packet goes out before the festival and is passed on through the season. A table calendar sits on a desk for twelve months and carries your logo every day.

A practical starting point for corporate gifting in Malaysia is one printed item per festive push, sized to the recipient list, with the budget agreed in the second quarter.

FAQ

When should a Malaysian company start planning festive corporate gifts? The quiet months, April to September, are the best time to plan. Printed gifts need artwork confirmed 6 to 8 weeks before a festival, and the four weeks immediately before each festival are the busiest of the year.

How far ahead should I confirm money packet artwork for Chinese New Year 2027? Confirm artwork between 12 and 26 December 2026. Money packets then take 10 to 14 working days from artwork approval.

How long do printed table calendars take? Table calendars take 21 working days after logo approval. For December delivery, order by November 2026.

When is Hari Raya 2027? Hari Raya Aidilfitri is expected on Wednesday 10 March 2027, with the second day on Thursday 11 March. The date is an estimate until the moon sighting and official gazette.

What is the smallest money packet order? The minimum is 500 pieces. Personalised packets start at RM 488 for 500 pieces in one design with no finishing.