Malaysia

Malaysian Prime Minister Majib Razak and the Malaysian cabinet have established Malaysia's first national minimum wage. This new minimum wage, at $265 - $295 per month, is a slight increase from the current worker's salary of $251 per month.

In early April 2011, the government of Malaysia launched a new immigration pass to attract highly-skilled foreign professionals to work in the country.

Attempting to address what some critics see as a sharp decrease in skilled professionals, the Malaysian Prime Ministers Department is spearheading the creation of the Talent Corporation.

Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore are all anticipating increases in average salaries for 2011.

On October 1, 2010, a new regulation will go into effect in Malaysia that will influence all employers that hire part-time workers.

A recent survey published by the Wall Street Journal showed that blue collar manufacturing wages in China are now three times those in Vietnam.

In an effort to battle the declining economic conditions and encourage companies to retain their workers, Malaysias Human Resources Ministry announced plans last month to reduce certain mandatory social security fund contributions for employers.

Recent surveys of CIOs from multinational companies in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam suggest that this trend is particularly evident in Asia.

In February 2008, the Labor Department of Malaysia announced an aggressive new policy on companies employing foreign laborers.

On July 31, 2006, Malaysias Minister of Human Resources, Dr. Fong Chan Onn, said to reporters that the government had drafted an amendment to the Employment Act which would raise the salary ceiling to 2,000 ringgit per month (about US$550).

The Malaysian government announced in its 2006 budget that it would expedite visas for expatriate professionals in the information and communication technology, high-tech, and financial services sectors.

In a recent study by the World Banks International Finance Corporation, Korea ranked 105th out of 155 countries in labor flexibility. In contrast, Hong Kong was ranked 3rd, Singapore 7th, Japan 20th, and Thailand was ranked 23rd for labor flexibility.

Due to rising healthcare expenditure, the Malaysian government has recently announced that it will implement a new National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

In order to provide a cleaner and healthier environment in the workplace, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) in Malaysia will begin drafting new guidelines on indoor air quality and smoking regulations.

Effective November 1, 2004, all foreign workers who enter Malaysia and intend to stay for less than one year must enroll in an induction course, according to a new regulation by the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources.

In an effort to protect foreign workers, Malaysia's Human Resources Ministry recently established the Foreign Workers Insurance Scheme, requiring all employers to insure their workers with one of four approved insurance companies.

Malaysia is set to issue ID cards to the 1.2 million legal foreign workers in the country. The cards are intended to monitor legal migrant workers and protect them during raids against illegals.

The Malaysian Cabinet approved proposed amendments to the Social Security Organization (Socso) Act of 1969. The amendments will raise the monthly salary ceiling for Socso contributions from RM 2,000 (US $526) to RM 3,000 (US$ 789).

In order to encourage the development of knowledge workers in their countries, Southeast Asian governments are providing greater internet access to its people.

In a recent international conference held on technical education and vocational training in Kuala Lumpur, the need for more comprehensive and business-oriented training for Malaysias future growth was discussed.

The maximum number of work hours allowed per week in Malaysia is 48, in line with many developing countries in the region. In practice, workers at most companies work fewer than the maximum 48 hours.

When recruiting and managing human resources in another country, it is always wise to learn about the local culture. In Malaysia, there are many cultural factors to keep in mind.

The Malaysian government is deeply involved in workforce education and training