Recruitment Agency Register

No official online lookup foundHas not ratified ILO C181

Recruitment agency licensing in Malaysia

Licensing authority: The Director General of Labour, through the Department of Labour of Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) under the Ministry of Human Resources. In Sabah and Sarawak the Act gives this role to the Director of Labour of each state.2,1

How to check an agency in Malaysia

Who needs a licence

Anyone carrying out recruiting activities must hold a private employment agency licence. Licence A covers placement of job seekers within Malaysia. Licence B covers placement within and outside Malaysia and foreign domestic workers in Malaysia. Licence C covers placement within and outside Malaysia and non-citizen employees in Malaysia.1

Fees charged to workers

Under section 14 and the First Schedule of the Act, an agency may charge a job seeker a registration fee of RM30 or less for jobs in Malaysia, or RM50 or less for jobs abroad. The placement fee may not exceed 25 percent of the first month's basic wages for job seekers, or one month's basic wages for non-citizen employees placed in Malaysia. A receipt is required, and charging more is an offence under section 28.2

Licence conditions

A licence is valid for 24 months and renewal applications are due at least 60 days before expiry. Required paid up capital and money guarantee are RM50,000 and RM5,000 for Licence A, RM100,000 and RM100,000 for Licence B, and RM250,000 and RM250,000 for Licence C.2,1

ILO Private Employment Agencies Convention (C181)

Not ratified3

Main law

Developments

  1. The Private Employment Agencies (Amendment) Act 2017 (Act A1554) came into operation, according to the reprint of the Act published by JTKSM.2

Checked 28 October 2026. This page describes the licensing system. It does not list or rate individual agencies.

Sources

  1. Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Semenanjung Malaysia, Ministry of Human Resources, Private Employment Agencies
  2. Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Semenanjung Malaysia, Private Employment Agencies Act 1981 (Act 246), reprint incorporating amendments up to Act A1554
  3. Government of the Netherlands, Treaty Database, Convention concerning Private Employment Agencies, Geneva, 19-06-1997 (29 January 2026)