Job Discussion Forums

norbdemn · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 128

1. What is the process for getting a Work Permit? Do you have to get it
before you go or while you are there??

2. Are employers generally open to salary negotiations?

3. What is health care like in Malaysia? For instance, if I come down with a
bad cold and need to see a doctor, are there numerous clinics that are
easily accessible??

Thanks.

englishmaster · Joined: 03 Sep 2004 Posts: 118

Having been accepted for employment by a Malaysian uni seven months ago, but being stuck waiting for my working papers to be approved by the Malaysian immigration office, I can only tell you about the former.

The semester has now started, yet I am still in the States. The process is indeed slow. First, you need to be accepted by a Malaysian educational entity. Then you need to get a medical exam and fill out some other paperwork and send it to them. Then the fun part begins: you wait to get a "professional letter of invitation" from the aforementioned immo. office so that you can secure a visa from the Malaysian consulate.

I urge you to google that last two words in the above paragraph to find out what _they_ require of you.

If all of this sounds confusing, well, join the club! I can't wait to get to Malaysia and see what the rest of the country is like.

saint57 · Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 4:29 am Post subject:

Kana65 · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 22 Location: Malaysia

1.) Your employer can lodge an application for a work permit with you already in the country on a 90 day social visit pass or tourist visa as it is called in the West. It can take anywhere from 40 to 90 days although I have heard of it taking longer. 30 days was the shortest it ever took for me and I have had four different employers with four different work permits in my years here. The medical exam is very simply a physical plus a chest x-ray. That is actually for the Ministry of Education who first has to review and deem you okay to teach in Malaysia then it all goes to the Department of Immigration. If there is a hold up with a work permit it is generally with the Education ministry not the immigration department at least that's been my experience.

2.) About negotiations, yes, I think you can bargain a little bit but I have noticed that many Chinese hate to bargain. They just want to get the most out of life that they can. However, once you have been with a school six months or so and they have seen you are not a flaky type you will have some leeway indemanding a raise.

3.)Medical clinics are everywhere and relatively cheap. It's finding a good dentist that's the problem!