Why Move to Malaysia

Benefits of working in Malaysia as an Indonesian national.

Higher Salaries

Salaries in Malaysia are significantly bigger than in Indonesia.

• Entry BPO: RM 5,000 (~IDR 17.5M)
• Professional: RM 7,000-10,000+ (~IDR 24.5M-35M+)

While not as high as Singapore, the cost of living is lower than Singapore, offering better savings potential than Indonesia.

Affordable Healthcare

Healthcare is far cheaper in Malaysia. There is no such thing as poor people being forbidden to get sick; rather, poor people must be patient.

• Public hospitals: Very cheap (RM 1-5 registration)
• Private hospitals: Affordable compared to Indonesia
• Health insurance often provided by employers (for RM 3,000+ salary)
• Quality comparable to developed countries

Contrast with Indonesia: BPJS limitations, public hospital overcrowding, and high private hospital costs. Malaysia offers a better middle ground.

Language Opportunities

English Environment

You can learn English at the same time while working in Malaysia.

Daily exposure includes work in English, signage in English, and media in English, providing natural immersion.

This helps improve professional English, prepares you for global career opportunities, and is better than classroom learning in Indonesia.

Mandarin Exposure

You can learn English and Mandarin at the same time.

With 20%+ Malaysian Chinese population, business Chinese is widely used. Signage is often bilingual/trilingual, and Chinese companies are hiring Mandarin speakers.

Mandarin + English skills provide premium value in the global job market, offer access to Chinese business networks, and prepare you for future careers in China/Singapore/Taiwan.

International Environment

Malaysia is quite open with foreigners. You can meet Vietnamese, Thai, expats, and others.

Diversity includes: Indonesians, Filipinos, Bangladeshis, Nepalis, Indians, Western expats, Vietnamese, Thai, Myanmar workers, and Chinese from mainland.

This helps expand your professional network, provides cultural exchange opportunities, offers less isolation than homogeneous countries, and gives you a global perspective.

Food

Halal-Friendly

Food is still delicious, both halal and non-halal options.

• Malay food is naturally halal
• Indian Muslim (mamak) restaurants are everywhere
• The halal certification system is reliable
• There are more options than in Thailand or China

Adaptation

You just need to adapt to curry food because Malaysia has lots of curry.

Variety includes: Malay (nasi lemak, rendang), Indian (roti canai, nasi kandar), Chinese (dim sum, noodles - halal versions available), Western, and Indonesian food (though not as good as home).

Note: Indonesian food in Malaysia is still less tasty than at home. Plus, drinks here are far sweeter than Indonesian drinks.

Recommendation: Learn to cook Indonesian food or bring spices from home.

Housing Quality

Boarding houses and apartments in Malaysia are far bigger than in Jabodetabek.

• RM 800 in KL: Decent room, often with AC, private or shared bathroom
• Rp 1.5M in Jakarta: Often smaller, with fewer facilities

You get more space for the same relative cost.

Common amenities: Swimming pools (apartments), gyms, 24-hour security, parking, function rooms. These are more common than in equivalent-priced Jakarta housing.

Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is OK as long as you don't work at companies dominated by Chinese (whether Malaysian Chinese or from China) or Singaporean outsourcing companies.

Generally: Standard 9-6 or 9-5:30 working hours, weekends are protected more than in Indonesia, and leave entitlements are enforced.

Exceptions (avoid): Chinese-owned companies (long hours), Singapore outsourcing (high pressure), and some startups (all-consuming culture).

Public Transportation

Public transport in Kuala Lumpur and surroundings is always getting better.

Expansion: New MRT lines are added, better connectivity year by year, more reliable than Indonesian cities (except Jakarta MRT), and cheaper than Singapore.

Coverage: LRT/MRT extensive network, buses frequent on major routes, Grab is ubiquitous, and integrated payment (TnG) is available.

Car Ownership

You can own a car cheaply here. With 120 million IDR, you can already buy a Perodua Myvi.

• Perodua Myvi: RM 35,000-45,000
• Fuel: Cheaper and better quality than Indonesia
• Road tax: Very low (RM 20-90/year)
• Insurance: Reasonable

With RM 6,000+ salary, car ownership is realistic. This is a major upgrade from Indonesia where cars are luxury items.

Career Stepping Stone

Malaysia serves as a stepping stone before moving to other countries like the Netherlands, Dubai, etc. (10+ foreign worker friends have left Malaysia after working here).

Strategic value: MNC experience on your resume, English professional environment, regional exposure, and easier access to jobs in Singapore, Australia, and the Middle East.

Success stories: Malaysia → Netherlands, Malaysia → Dubai, Malaysia → Australia, Malaysia → back to Indonesia with premium experience.

EPF (Retirement Savings)

EPF (Employees Provident Fund) is a government pension fund that is guaranteed.

For foreigners: You can contribute personally (11% of salary). Not all companies contribute for WNA. It is withdrawable when leaving Malaysia, providing forced savings discipline.

Strategy: Set up personal EPF contribution if your company does not contribute, build a retirement nest egg, and withdraw when permanently leaving.

Consumer Access

Imported goods are far easier and cheaper. You can sometimes buy Japanese snacks at Don Don Donki and Korean skincare through Shopee.

Availability: Japanese goods at Don Don Donki, J-Mart, Korean products at beauty stores/online, Western brands are more available than in Indonesia, and electronics have competitive prices.

E-commerce: Shopee Malaysia (fast delivery), Lazada (wide selection), and direct international shipping is easier.