Malaysia
Make employment in Malaysia easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in Malaysia, all in one easy-to-use platform.
- Capital City
Kuala Lumpur
- Currency
Malaysian ringgit (RM, MYR)
- Languages
Malay
- Population size
32,730,000
Facts & Stats
- Capital City
Kuala Lumpur
- Currency
Malaysian ringgit (RM, MYR)
- Languages
Malay
- Population size
32,730,000
- Ease of doing business
Very easy
- Cost of living index
39.51 (2021)
- Payroll frequency
Monthly
- VAT - standard rate
6%
- GDP - real growth rate
4.3 (2019)
Malaysia is a tourism hotspot with rich cultural diversity, and an established economic superpower among the ASEAN countries.
For over half a century, the Malaysian economy has experienced significant economic growth, driven by gains in the mining, tourism, commerce, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing industries in particular. Kuala Lumpur is now home to a burgeoning tech sector with a strong base of digital talent and highly skilled services professionals.
This Southeast Asian nation is a prime destination for employers looking for quality team members, and many businesses establish an Asian hub in the city affectionately know as KL.
Grow your team in Malaysia with Remote
Looking to employ workers in Malaysia? Companies hiring in Malaysia must either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider, usually one that provides employer of record services.
Remote can employ your team in Malaysia on your behalf through our local legal entity in the country and handle payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for your Malaysia team. You can also pay contractors now in Malaysia with Remote.
Risks of misclassification
Malaysia, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in Malaysia may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.
Employing in Malaysia
Employment regulations in Malaysia are spelled out across several government statutes such as:
Act A1651 - Employment (Amendment) Act 2022
The Industrial Relations Act of 1967
Trade Unions Act of 1959
Employees Provident Fund Act of 1991
Employees’ Social Security Act of 1969
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1994, etc.
Put together, these regulations define the protections and rights applicable to Malaysia’s workforce of 16 million. Employees in Malaysia enjoy protections against discrimination based on age, religion, gender expression, and race.
Common questions that could come up during the hiring process include the minimum wage, overtime rates, and guaranteed paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in Malaysia.
Onboarding Time
We can help you get a new employee started in Malaysia fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 6 working days.
Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.
For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.
Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.
12 Public holidays
Want to see and manage all holidays? Sign up for our free HRIS!
Effortless HR in Malaysia: Take the Tour
Competitive benefits package in Malaysia
At Remote, we’re obsessed with helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in practicing “fair equity,” which means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive (and that will allow you to attract the best local talent).
Our benefits packages in Malaysia are tailored to fulfill the local needs of your employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Support
Pension or 401(K)
Life and Disability Insurance
Taxes in Malaysia
Learn how employment taxes and statutory fees affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in Malaysia.
12 - 13%
Provident Fund (for employees up to the age of 60)
4 - 6.5%
Provident Fund (for employees over the age of 60)
1.75%
Social Security (SOCSO)
0.20%
Employment Insurance (EIS)
1%
Human Resource Development Fund (for over 10 employees)
Types of leave
Employees are entitled to paid time off in proportion to their tenure working with an employer’s organization.
Up to two years of employment: 8 days off per year
2 - 5 years: 12 days off per year
5+ years: 16 days off per year
Employment termination
Termination process
Employee contracts can be terminated if a just cause is established, such as dishonesty, negligence, fraud, or any other work-related offenses and employees reserve the right to dispute their dismissal as unfair.
Notice period
There is no stipulated notice period required under Malaysian employment law.
Severance pay
Employees who’re dismissed unfairly (i.e., for reasons not related to their performance or conduct) are entitled to severance packages equivalent to their tenure working with an employer.
Up to two years of employment: 10 days pay for each year of service
2 - 5 years: 15 days pay for each year of service
5+ years: 20 days pay for each year of service
Fair Pricing in Malaysia
Employer of Record
Hire and pay your global team
Starting at $599/month
for annual plans
Top features
Satisfaction guaranteed
No deposits or hidden fees
Zero onboarding or offboarding fees
Compliant equity incentives support including withholding and reporting
Built-in security and compliance
Fast onboarding (average 2-3 days)
Flexible, localized benefits
Top features
Only pay for contractors you actively work with
Work with contractors in 200+ countries
Create, edit, and sign tailored, localized contracts
Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay
Transparent payments with complete visibility
Remote Payroll
Consolidate your multi-country payroll
$50
per employee/month
Top features
Reduce costs by centralizing payroll management
Ensure local compliance for every country
Direct support from in-house local payroll experts
Accurate, on-time, compliant payroll to level-up your employee experience
Tax and labor authority reporting handled for you
Top features
Guided onboarding and offboarding
Employee profile and document management
Time and attendance (time off and tracking)
Expense management and reimbursement
Employee self-serve on the platform and mobile app