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.

Economy of Malaysia

The economy of Malaysia is an excellent blend of private and public sector. This growing and state-oriented market economy ranked at the 29th position in the world by purchasing power parity with gross domestic product in 2007. The government plays important role to make monetary policies through macroeconomic plans. The nominal GDP was US$191.4 billion in 2009, while nominal per capital GDP at the same year was US$6,761. Rubber and palm oil processing and manufacturing, palm oil farming, tourism, and petroleum production plays significant role to boost up the economy of Malaysia. The country imports goods such as, petroleum products, plastics, electronics, machinery, vehicles, iron and steel products, chemicals, and the export goods are petroleum and liquefied natural gas, electronic equipment, palm oil, rubber, textiles, chemicals, wood and wood products, etc. Main export import partners of Malaysia are Singapore, United States, Japan, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Tawian, South Korea, Indonesia, and Germany.

Industry in Malaysia

Manufacturing is the leading industry in Malaysia followed by tourism and agriculture. Jobs in Malaysia are offered in a large number by these industries. Statistics show that Malaysia industrial sector causes 48.1 percent of total GDP which is 63.4 billion US dollars. The position of industrial output of the country is 32nd in the world. Malaysia Industrial Development Authority regulates and promotes industrial sector of the country. Major industries in Malaysia are light manufacturing, rubber and palm oil processing, manufacturing, electronics, Palm oil farming, tourism, tin mining and smelting, logging and processing timber, petroleum production, logging Sarawak - agriculture processing, and petroleum refining, etc. 15 companies that are located in Malaysia hold position in the Forbes Global 2000 ranking for 2008. These are Malayan Banking. Tenaga Nasional,Sime Darby, PPB Group, RHB Bank, Cahya Mata Sarawak, AMMB Holdings, Hong Leong Financial Group, Telekom Malaysia, Public Bank, MISC, Genting, IOI Group, Petronas Gas, Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings.

Living in Malaysia

Those who are looking for jobs in Malaysia, it is always better for them to learn about the cost of living of the country. Most of the citizens of the country are moderate Muslims and largely they don’t drink alcohol. The cost of basic double storey houses in the suburbs is some RM 300,000, while price for the same property in the city is around RM 500,000. These properties are available on rent in a price range from RM 1000 to RM 1600. Public transport is available, but not adequate. So, it is better to own a car. The cost of one liter petrol is RM 1.80. As far healthcare cost is concerned, it requires RM 50 – 100 to visit a clinic for fever or cough. It is advised to take Health Insurance plan which costs RM 150 – 200. Typically, RM 4000 is adequate for a basic living in Malaysia. More than RM 6000 is ideal for a decent living, while RM 10,000 is perfect for a comfortable living (2010).

Work Permit in Malaysia

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.

Malaysia – As a Workplace

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.