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Working in Malaysia through legal routes

Written by KarirAman editorial team Approved by Kaiser Khan (editor), Updated

Legal routes for Indonesians in Malaysia: the PLKS permit for plantations, factories, construction and services, domestic work, and the minimum wage.

Indonesia and Malaysia are renewing the migrant worker placement MoU that ends in early 2027. New rules apply only once a new MoU is signed; until then, the current rules apply.

Summary

  • Foreign workers in Malaysia work on a Visitor's Pass (Temporary Employment), known as PLKS, in manufacturing, plantation, agriculture, construction and services.
  • The 2022 MoU on Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia sets a single-channel system (One Channel System) for placement.
  • Malaysia's minimum wage covers foreign workers: from 1 February 2025 at employers with five or more workers, from 1 August 2025 at all employers; not domestic workers.
  • The placement MoU signed in 2004 ends in early 2027, and both countries aim to sign a new MoU in 2026.
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On this page
  1. Which legal work routes exist for Malaysia?
  2. What does the proposed new Indonesia-Malaysia MoU contain?
  3. What is the minimum wage in Malaysia?
  4. Why are informal routes to Malaysia risky?

What does the proposed new Indonesia-Malaysia MoU contain?

On 6 October 2026 Indonesia's migrant worker protection minister and Malaysia's human resources minister discussed renewing the MoU signed in 2004. According to KP2MI, Malaysia's first draft contains several proposals. All of them are proposals and are not yet in force.

  • Mandatory PERKESO (SOCSO) coverage for all Indonesian migrant workers, with 24-hour protection including travel to and from work.
  • Raising the maximum age of new Indonesian migrant workers from 40 to 45.
  • Recruitment through Malaysia's central digital system, the Foreign Worker Centralized Management System (FWCMS), while Indonesia builds its own integrated app.
  • Talks on leave rights, government-to-government and registered-agency placement, and a cost structure that does not burden the workers.

What is the minimum wage in Malaysia?

Malaysia's Minimum Wages Order 2024 took effect in two stages. From 1 February 2025, employers with five or more workers, and employers in a professional activity whatever their size, must pay the new minimum wage. Employers with fewer than five workers followed from 1 August 2025. According to Malaysia's Ministry of Human Resources, the order covers foreign workers, but it does not apply to domestic workers. The minimum wage is the basic wage, excluding allowances and overtime.

Malaysia national minimum wage
Area or group Official floor Approximate rupiah value
Malaysia: national minimum wage Applies to: Minimum monthly basic wage, foreign workers included: from 1 February 2025 for employers with five or more workers and MASCO professional-activity employers, from 1 August 2025 for employers with fewer than five workers Excludes: Domestic workers MYR 1,700.00 per month In force from about IDR 7,434,542 rate as of 8 October 2026

Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Sarawak, Kementerian Sumber Manusia Malaysia Radio Televisyen Malaysia (Portal Berita RTM), quoting Kementerian Sumber Manusia Malaysia (official statement via media)

Why are informal routes to Malaysia risky?

The employer, not the worker, applies for a Malaysian work pass, and the worker may enter only after it is approved. Workers who enter without one have no lawful work status. Indonesian Law 18/2017 Article 69 also bans individuals from placing migrant workers, so a private recruiter promising work in Malaysia without a licensed P3MI is breaking the law.

Which official channels can you contact?

Frequently asked questions

Can I enter Malaysia as a tourist and look for work there?

No. According to Malaysian Immigration, foreign workers must stay outside Malaysia while the application is processed and may enter only after the Visa With Reference (VDR) and the Visitor's Pass (Temporary Employment) are approved. Workers from Indonesia get the visa at a Malaysian mission in Indonesia.

How long can Indonesians work in Malaysia?

Malaysian Immigration limits foreign workers on a PLKS to a total of five years. Workers may not bring family and may not change jobs or employers without permission from Malaysia's Home Ministry. On age, KP2MI says the current maximum for new Indonesian migrant workers is 40; Malaysia has proposed 45 in the new MoU.

What is the age limit for working in Malaysia?

Age limits differ by legal route: Domestic worker through the One Channel System: 21 to 45 years; Formal-sector worker on a PLKS: 18 to 40 years. Check the route page again before you apply.

Which visa do you need to work in Malaysia?

The legal routes to Malaysia use these visas or permits: Domestic worker through the One Channel System: Pas Lawatan (Kerja Sementara); Formal-sector worker on a PLKS: Pas Lawatan (Kerja Sementara). Apply only through the destination government's official website or its mission.

What is the minimum wage for working in Malaysia?

The official pay floor for the Formal-sector worker on a PLKS route in Malaysia is MYR 1,700.00 per month, in force from 1 February 2025 (Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Sarawak, Kementerian Sumber Manusia Malaysia). This is the legal minimum in Malaysia, not an offered wage.

Who wrote and reviewed this page?

Written by KarirAman editorial team Published Updated

Prepared with AI assistance. Checked against official sources and approved for publication by Kaiser Khan (editor). Approval date: .

Sources

The facts on this page come from these sources. Dates show when we opened them.

  1. Visitor's Pass (Temporary Employment) Immigration Department of Malaysia (Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia) · accessed
  2. Risalah Perintah Gaji Minimum 2024 (Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Sarawak, Kementerian Sumber Manusia) Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Sarawak, Kementerian Sumber Manusia Malaysia · Perintah Gaji Minimum 2024, P.U. (A) 376/2024 · accessed
  3. Perintah Gaji Minimum berkuat kuasa sepenuhnya 1 Ogos 2025 (kenyataan KESUMA, laporan RTM) Radio Televisyen Malaysia (Portal Berita RTM), quoting Kementerian Sumber Manusia Malaysia · official statement via media · accessed
  4. Indonesia-Malaysia sepakati MoU perlindungan pekerja migran Indonesia di Malaysia Kementerian Sekretariat Negara RI · accessed
  5. Indonesia-Malaysia percepat pembaruan MoU pekerja migran, dorong tata kelola digital terpusat Kementerian Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia (KP2MI) · accessed
  6. Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kementerian Hukum RI (peraturan.go.id) · UU 18/2017 · accessed
How to cite

KarirAman (2026). Working in Malaysia through legal routes. Updated 8 October 2026. https://kariraman.com/en/work-abroad/malaysia/

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Change log
  • : Corrected the Malaysian minimum wage dates: in force from 1 February 2025 for employers with five or more workers and from 1 August 2025 for smaller employers.