Chef De Partie
Can I work in Malaysia?
Never pay anyone for a visa or a job offer. A real employer pays the permit costs and never asks you for money.
How it works
How it works: Line staff: worker quotas for 15 Asian countries, frozen since March 2023 and not reopened for hotels. Others: Employment Pass at RM 5,000+ basic (about USD 1,150).
Watch for: Hotels were left out of the 2025 quota reopenings and no 2026 hotel opening was found. Sabah and Sarawak run their own immigration: a Peninsular pass is not valid there.
Official source: Immigration Department of Malaysia: foreign workers. Checked November 2026.
What the job usually comes with in Malaysia
Usual for Malaysia, varies by employer. Checked November 2026.
| Housing | Island resorts: usually shared staff quarters; city hotels: usually not; managers may get an allowance |
|---|---|
| Meals | Usually duty meals in a staff canteen |
| Flights | Senior expat packages only; not standard |
| Service charge | About 10% on bills, shared by points; cannot count towards the minimum wage (by law) |
| Contract | Pass-linked fixed term: 1 year for line staff, up to 5 for managers; probation usually 3 to 6 months |
| Leave | Peninsular Malaysia: 8 days a year, 12 after 2 years, 16 after 5; 11 public holidays; 45-hour week (by law) |
| Income tax | Flat 30% until you pass 182 days in a year, then 0% to 30% (about 4% at RM 5,000 a month, before reliefs) |
Senior staff often get more than line staff, for example a single room or a yearly home flight. Ask the employer what the job includes before you accept.
Guidance, not legal advice. Rules change; your employer confirms the details for your case.