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Malaysia is one of south-east Asia’s most vibrant economies. Its multi-ethnic, multi religious society encompasses a majority Muslim population in most of its states and an economically-powerful Chinese community. Consisting of two regions separated by about 640 miles of the South China Sea, Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and three federal territories. It is one of the region’s key tourist destinations, offering excellent beaches and colourful scenery. Dense rainforests in the eastern states of Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo, are a refuge for wildlife and tribal traditions. Ethnic Malays comprise about 60% of the population. Chinese constitute around 26%; Indians and indigenous peoples make up the rest. The communities coexist in relative harmony, although there is little racial interaction. Although since 1971 Malays have benefited from positive discrimination in business, education and the civil service, ethnic Chinese continue to wield much economic power and form the wealthiest community. The Malays remain the dominant group in politics while the Indians are among the poorest. The country is among the world’s biggest producers of computer disk drives, palm oil, rubber and timber. It has a state-owned automobile industry, Proton. Tourism is already thriving and has still considerable room for expansion. Malaysia’s human rights record has come in for international criticism. Internal security laws allow suspects to be detained without charge or trial.
| i) Exemption from visa and Immigration requirements to enter and exit the country. |
| ii) Ability to reside in the country indefinitely. |
| iii) Own and operate own business. |
| iv) Seek employment without need for a work permit. |
| v) Access to public healthcare. |
| i) Subject to foreigner terms when purchasing property (read below). |
| ii) Prohibited from involvement with any political party or association. |
| iii) Prohibited from voting during election. |
| iv) PR status may be subject to revocation at any time, if deemed necessary by the government. |
Agencies | Field Of Expertise |
1) Ministry Of Health | Health and medical |
2) Ministry Of International Trade And Industries (MITI)/Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) | Industrial, services and manufacturing |
3) Ministry Of Agriculture And Agro-based Industry | Agriculture and agro-based |
4) Ministry Of Transport | Maritime, air and land transportation |
5) Ministry Of Higher Learning | Higher learning |
6) Ministry Of Science, Technology And Innovation | Science, technology, and ICT |
7) Ministry Of Information, Communication And Culture | Information, communication, culture, and arts |
8) Ministry Of Youth And Sports/Malaysian Sports Council | Sports |
9) Central Bank | Banking and finance |
10) Securities Commission | Investment and capital |
When you decide to apply for Malaysian permanent residency, you must approach the Immigration Department of Malaysia in Putrajaya and inform them. They will issue you with all the required forms and a document checklist, which you must collect.
Once you have obtained all the required documents on the checklist you must submit them at the Immigration Department. The required documents are subject to change depending on your specific case, but include:
Additionally, you must also have a sponsor in Malaysia. The sponsor can be any Malaysian citizen over the age of 21. When you apply for the Entry Permit, both you and the sponsor have to be present.
If you intend to apply for Malaysia PR under the Professional or Expert categories, you must get a recommendation by one of the following agencies related to your field of expertise:
Another type of Malaysia residence permit is the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program, which offers residence and free travel to the holder and their family members for up to ten years.
You are eligible for the MM2H program if you can show you have enough independent financial means to fund your stay.
If you are under 50 years old, you must have:
If you are over 50 year old, you must have:
PR in Malaysia does not give you all the benefits of Malaysian citizens, like voting or becoming involved in political and governmental issues, but there are still significant benefits, such as:
Contact the Immigration Department to see the exact documents needed for your application route. You can expect to be asked for a suite of paperwork including:³
Category 3
Category 4
Category 5
A popular destination with a growing number of highly qualified homegrown graduates, it’s true that securing a role in Malaysia isn’t easy. But if you concentrate on sectors where there are skills shortages, you should find that opportunities are available.
English is widely spoken but learning some Malay, the official language of the country, before you arrive will stand you in good stead.
The Malaysian economy has grown strongly over recent years, having transformed itself from a producer of raw materials to a vast, multi-industry and innovation-based economy.
However, there are restrictions in place concerning the number of foreign employees that Malaysian companies can employ, and organisations can only recruit international workers if there are no qualified Malaysians to fill the position. With many qualified nationals graduating each year, competition for jobs is fierce.
More than half of the country’s labour force is based in the tertiary sector, also known as the services sector, while the lucrative oil, gas and biotechnology sectors also employ significant numbers of the Malaysian population.
Malaysia’s key industries include:
Malaysia has a critical occupations list (COL), which highlights 42 roles where there is a skills shortage. The top ten are:
As with all economically healthy countries, some jobs are in high demand in Malaysia. Here are the best expat jobs in Malaysia.
The tech industry is expanding rapidly throughout Asia, and companies need data scientists that can analyze statistics. Programmers are also required in just about every industry, as are AI experts and software engineers.
Malaysia is home to a booming real estate market, resulting in a strong need for architects and structural engineers. If you have design skills and surveying expertise, you can find work as a site supervisor, a senior project manager, or a project engineer.
From actuarial science to financial technology, you’ll find a wide variety of jobs in Malaysia if you have experience in the financial industry. As salaries rise and the standard of living increases, there is a growing need for tax accountants and auditors.
Social media is a massive part of most Malaysian’s lives. According to Hootsuite and We Are Social, Malaysia ranks 5th in terms of social media penetration. That means companies in all sectors are looking for social media managers to build their brand presence.
This doesn’t mean just sending out witty tweets or making weekly Facebook posts. You’ll need to know how to develop content, maintain a strategic content calendar, and know how to use analytical tools.
Malaysia is a growing tourist destination, and companies are hiring professionals with hospitality and service industry experience to meet the demand. In addition to careers in hotels, restaurants, and resorts, the spa industry is also thriving. With the right expertise, you can find work as a professional spa therapist.
The tourism sector features some of the best expat jobs in Malaysia, especially if you speak English because visitors love to speak in their native tongue.
Native English speakers can almost always find work teaching English as a second language in Asia. To make things even better, many teaching jobs are no online thanks to Malaysia’s love for technology.
1. Black toppers
2. Engineers for agricultural machinery
4. Technicians with a higher level of training (engineers) for power engineering technology
5. Graduates in power engineering
6. Pavers
7. Special(ist) power engineers
8. Concrete fitters
9. Technicians with a higher level of training (engineers) for data processing
10. Carpenters
11. Special fitters
12. Graduate engineers for data processing
13. Technicians with a higher level of training (engineers) for mechanical engineering
14. Construction joiners
15. Physicians
16. Floor and wall tilers
17. Building plumbers
18. Graduate nurses
19. Pipe installers, pipe fitters
20. Graduates in weak-current and telecommunications engineering
21. Electrical installers, electrical fitters
22. Welders, cutting torch operators
23. Cost accountants
24. Metal turners
25. Graduate mechanical engineers
26. Milling machinists
27. Ophthalmic opticians
28. Special graduate engineers
29. Technicians with a higher education (engineer) for civil engineering
30. Special floor layers
31. Construction and furniture joiners
32. Special fitters
33. Bricklayers
34. Other civil engineering specialists
35. Specialist technicians for mechanical engineering
36. Payroll accountants
37. Wood machine workers
38. Graduate engineers – special professions
39. Varnishers
40. Motor vehicle mechanic
41. Glaziers
42. Train conductors, stokers
43. Building fitters, sheet metal fitters, construction fitters
44. Engineers/technicians for rough mechanicals
45. Special technicians for low voltage engineering and communication engineering
46. Other technicians for fuel and gas technology
47. Restaurant chefs
48. Painters, house painters
49. Stove fitters, potters, stove makers
50. Technicians with a higher level of training (engineer) for technical chemistry, chemical engineers
51. Plastic processors
52. Special technicians in business administration
53. Special technicians for civil engineering
54. Toolmakers, cutters and punchmakers
55. Dealers and sales clerks for iron and metal goods, domestic and kitchen appliances
56. Certified public accountants
57. Special technicians
58. Butchers
59. Vehicle body and radiator sheet metal workers
60. Machine fitters
61. Medical technology specialists
62. Special(ist) technicians for data processing
63. Stone masons, stone sculptors
64. Furniture makers
65. Qualified healthcare assistants
66. Healthcare assistants
67. Estate managers, other hotel and restaurant professionals, residence managers
68. Waiters / Waitresses
Foreign nationals who wish to become employed in Malaysia will have to get a Malaysian work visa. The term “work visa” encompasses the entire process of obtaining authorization to work in Malaysia, ie. getting a Malaysia work permit.
As a foreign national, before you can work in Malaysia, you must first find a Malaysian company who is willing to hire you. Afterward, your employer has to apply for a Malaysia work permit on your behalf.
If the authority bodies in charge of issuing work permission for foreign employees endorse the application, only then can you start working in Malaysia.
The Malaysia work visa types which the Malaysian government issues to foreign nationals are:
A Malaysia Employment Pass is issued to foreign nationals who will work in a Malaysian company in a highly skilled position, such as a technical or managerial position.
Before you can receive an Employment Pass, your employer in Malaysia has to get approval by the Expatriate Committee or a relevant regulatory agency to hire you.
This type of Malaysia work permit can be issued for 1-5 years, depending on the specific case or work duration, and it is renewable.
The Malaysia Temporary Employment Pass is issued for an employment duration of up to two years. It is issued for the following two categories:
The Malaysia Professional Visit Pass is issued to foreign nationals who want to come work in Malaysia temporarily (up to 12 months), but who are still hired by a foreign company.
The conditions for obtaining a Malaysian work visa differ based on the type of work permit you are eligible to receive.
For the Employment Pass, you must have the proper qualifications for the post you will be occupying (diploma, certificates) as well as relevant work experience. The monthly salary should be a minimum of RM3,000 per month, and in certain categories, RM10,000 per month.
For the Temporary Employment Pass there are conditions depending on your nationality and age which you must meet. For example, you must be between the ages of 18 and 45 and from certain approved countries. Additionally, to work as a Foreign Domestic Helper, you must be a woman and between 21 and 45 years of age. The TEP does not require any specific qualifications which are considered highly skilled.
For a Professional Visit Pass, you can only work in Malaysia for a specific period of time, and you have to be employed by a non-Malaysian organization. Therefore, the eligible categories of work under this type of work permit include foreign artists, film workers, religious workers, government workers, students undergoing training, guest lecturers or volunteers. In this case, you do not need an employer in Malaysia, but a sponsor.
Only holders of Employment Passes are allowed to bring their family to Malaysia with them. If you’re an EP holder, you can bring the following family members through the Malaysia Dependents Pass:
Additionally, through the Long Term Social Visit Pass, EP holders can bring the following family members to Malaysia:
The following family members can visit an EP holder through a Social Visit Pass:
If your spouse wants to work, their Dependent’s Pass won’t automatically allow them to do so. They must apply for their own work permit.
Numerous documents are also required to apply for an employment pass. These include:
