Kuala Lumpur, Oct 8 Malaysian Indian school children will get an extra day off to enjoy the coming Deepavali festival, the government has decided following numerous requests from schools and parents.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced on Thursday that the states' education directors had been told to approve requests from schools for an extra day off October 20.

"The decision was made to enable parents to make plans for their families to travel earlier and avoid traffic jams," The Star Thursday quoted him as saying.

Malaysia's nearly two million Indians, a bulk of them Hindus who settled here during the British era, will celebrate Deepavali October 17.