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Hiring foreign workers as a Chinese-owned company in Malaysia
Last updated: Tai Industries
A Chinese-owned company in Malaysia hires foreign workers (pekerja asing) through the 8 official steps, and a new application takes approx. 4 months. What is different for an owner from mainland China is the unfamiliar system: government portals, Malay acronyms and local wage rules. Tai Industries explains all of it in Mandarin and handles the applications.
What is different about hiring in Malaysia?
The process has its own vocabulary. Vacancies are first advertised to locals on MyFuture Jobs, the national job portal. Applications are filed in FWCMS, the Foreign Workers Centralized Management System. Approvals come from JTKSM, the Labour Department of Peninsular Malaysia, and KESUMA, the Ministry of Human Resources. The quota your company receives is called the eQuota, and the worker's permit is the PLKS (Pas Lawatan Kerja Sementara).
None of this needs to be learned in advance. Our glossary of foreign worker terms explains each one.
What are the steps?
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 01 | MyFuture Jobs ad posting and hiring outcome report |
| 02 | Apply FWE in the FWCMS system |
| 03 | Akujanji (undertaking) signing at JTKSM |
| 04 | Section 60K approval by JTKSM |
| 05 | Apply for eQuota in FWCMS |
| 06 | Interview at the KESUMA One Stop Centre |
| 07 | eQuota approval by KESUMA |
| 08 | Recruitment and arrival of the foreign worker |
As the employer you sign the Akujanji undertaking and attend the interview. We prepare and follow up everything else.
How long does it take?
A new application takes approx. 4 months in total: MY PASS approval approx. 1 month, eQuota approval approx. 1.5 months once documents are complete, and E-embassy processing approx. 1.5–2.5 months. All timelines are approximate, so build them into your opening or production schedule early.
What does it cost per worker?
We currently handle new applications for Bangladeshi workers. Permit and government fees are RM 2,655 per worker, and our service fee is RM 1,000 per worker, for an estimated total of RM 3,655. The levy (levi) and the PLKS are charged every year. The foreign worker cost breakdown has every line item and a calculator.
What wage rules apply once workers arrive?
Malaysia's rules will differ from what you are used to. In our payroll standard, the minimum basic wage is RM 1,700 per month for a 45-hour week with 1 rest day. Overtime is paid at 1.5× the hourly rate on a normal day, 2.0× on a rest day and 3.0× on a public holiday, and both EPF and PERKESO contributions apply. See the payroll standard for the figures.
How do I get started in Chinese?
Read our page for China business owners, available in Chinese, then message us on WeChat or WhatsApp. You can also contact Tai Industries through the enquiry form and choose 中文 as your preferred language.