If you’re a business/company looking to hire foreign workers, you will need to consider the list of approved source countries for foreign workers as well as the list of sectors that are permitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) to hire foreign workers in Malaysia.

The formal sectors that permit the hiring of foreign workers

• Service
• Manufacturing
• Construction
• Agricultural
• Farming
• Mining and quarrying

The only informal sector that permits the hiring of foreign workers is the domestic work (domestic helper/maid) sector.

Within the service sector, the sub-sectors that permit the hiring of foreign workers are:

• Restaurant
• Cleaning and sanitation
• Island resorts
• Hotels (back office)
• Golf caddy (male only)
• Spa
• Foot reflexology
• Cargo handling (at ports and airports only)