Jobs in Malaysia

Blessed with immaculate natural beauty, Malaysia is renowned for its exotic culture, friendly people and diversified economy. Agriculture and manufacturing industries are considered as the prime employment generating sectors. However, those who are looking for jobs in Malaysia, opportunities are available for them in every sector.

Home to approximately 24,821,286 residents, Malaysia is sited in south-east Asia bordering the South China Sea between Vietnam and Indonesia. Total area of the country is 329,750 square kilometer. Kuala Lumpur is the capital and largest city of Malaysia. Malaysia is easily accessible from all part of the world. Due to its central location, between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, the country has traditionally been a hotspot for both traders and travelers from all over the world.

As far as employment opportunities in Malaysia are concerned, options have increased to a great extent over the last couple of years. More and more foreign investors have shown interest to do business in Malaysia. Flexible government policies are also another key factor for creating a favorable environment for employment. Although, jobs in Malaysia are mostly available in manufacturing and Agricultural sector, opportunities in other important sectors such as, IT, Education, Management, Hospitality, etc. are also emerging rapidly. The unit of currency of Malaysia is the Malaysian Ringgit which is indicated as RM. Opportunities for exchanging foreign currencies are available at banks and money changers.

For the foreign workers, without a work permit it is not possible to get jobs in Malaysia. The process of getting work permit in Malaysia is complex. Typically, this is arranged by the targeted company. In Malaysia, employees and their family are given entry permission on social visas that are issued by Malaysian Immigration officials. Employment passes to work in Malaysia are limited to several years duration. Upon completing the term, the employee needs to leave the country. To get work visa in Malaysia, interested candidates need to fill out two (2) application forms - IM.12 Form and Form from KDN. These forms could be downloaded from websites such as, www.imi.gov.my or www.malaysia.org.au. With the duly completed application form, the candidate needs to submit all the required credentials. Detailed information about work permit in Malaysia could be availed from http://www.malaysia.org.au/travel1.html.

Working days of the government and private offices in Malaysia vary from one state to another. Typically, the country follows a 5-days work schedule other than states such as, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. Saturday and Sunday are considered as weekend. Office hour is 8:00am to 5:00pm (exception for Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur: 8:00am to 5:30pm). To allow the Muslims to perform their prayers, the lunch break is from 12:15pm-2:45pm on Fridays. On the other hand, in the states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, people work from Sundays to Thursdays. And here, Fridays and Saturdays are regarded as Weekends. Normally, the operation hours of the offices here are 8:00am to 4:45pm, while on Thursdays it is from 8:00am to 4:30pm. All the offices remain closed during the national public holidays as well as special state holidays.