Build a short list before you talk to anyone at length
A single conversation is a weak basis for a decision this personal — a friendly manner on a call tells you very little about whether an agency is actually licensed, properly categorised, or capable of what you need. Before any of that, gather a short list of two or three agencies worth comparing, using the public register as your starting point rather than whichever result appears first in a search.
This is also the point to confirm the basics that rule an agency in or out entirely: is it licensed, is the category one that covers a foreign domestic worker placement, and is the licence currently active rather than expired or suspended. Get that settled before you invest time in a longer conversation with any of them.
- Shortlist two or three agencies rather than deciding from a single conversation.
- Check the licence and category on the public register for each one first.
- Rule out anything unlicensed or wrongly categorised before comparing further.
Ask each agency the same questions
Once you have a shortlist that clears the licensing check, ask each agency the same set of questions rather than letting each conversation wander on its own: request an itemised quotation, ask about its current experience with your preferred source country, and ask directly how it handles a dispute or a replacement request. The same questions, asked consistently, are what make the answers easier to compare.
Pay attention to how directly each agency answers, not just what it says. An agency that itemises its fee without being asked twice, and answers a specific question with a specific answer, is telling you something about how it will likely handle the process itself.
Read the paperwork, not just the conversation
A verbal quotation and a written one can quietly differ, so ask for everything in writing and compare the same line items across agencies — what each one includes, what it doesn’t, and when each amount is due. A lower headline total is often just a shorter list of what’s included, not a better price.
If you’re considering an agency outside Peninsular Malaysia, it’s also worth checking which department actually administers its licence — Sabah and Sarawak sit under their own regional labour departments, and the verification approach that works for a peninsular agency doesn’t necessarily carry over directly.
What a fair comparison does and doesn’t settle
A clean comparison across licensing, quotations, and how each agency answers direct questions gives you an informed shortlist — it doesn’t, by itself, tell you how a specific placement will actually go, which still depends on the individual candidate and the working relationship you build with her.
It’s also worth knowing, before you need it, what recourse actually looks like if a dispute comes up later — JTKSM’s complaint channels exist, but they’re built around general labour disputes rather than a dedicated household-agency track, so it’s worth reading what to realistically expect from them in advance rather than assuming.