Pay and deductions

Salary Deductions: What an Employer May and May Not Take

What an employer may deduct from a domestic worker’s salary is tightly limited, and the standard contract goes further on some items — notably prohibiting a deduction for food.

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The short answer

Salary deductions are not at an employer’s discretion. The Employment Act permits only specific, limited deductions, several of which need the worker’s written consent and, in some cases, official approval. The standard domestic-worker contract is stricter still on some items: it prohibits deducting wages for food. Where the general mechanism and the contract term seem to differ, follow the stricter contract term.

At a glance

Default: Pay in fullThe agreed salary is paid; deductions are narrow exceptions, not a discretion.
Food: No deductionThe standard domestic-worker contract prohibits deducting wages for food.
Conflict rule: Follow the stricter termWhere the Act’s general mechanism and the contract differ, the contract term governs the relationship.

Deductions are the exception, not the rule

The Employment Act allows only specific deductions, and several require the worker’s written consent — some also need official approval. The safe default is that the agreed salary is paid in full, and any deduction has to point to a lawful, documented basis.

This matters because informal deductions — for breakages, for advances, for food — are where disputes begin. If a deduction is not clearly permitted and agreed, it should not be made.

When two sources seem to disagree, follow the stricter one

The Act sets out a general deduction mechanism, but the standard domestic-worker contract is more restrictive on some items — it prohibits deducting wages for food outright. A household reading only the general mechanism could wrongly conclude a food deduction is available.

The reliable rule is to follow the stricter term that governs the relationship. The salary-deductions guide sets out the specific items; this read is about not treating a general power as permission where a contract term forbids it.

Official and primary sources

Questions this page answers

Can an employer deduct for food?

No. The standard domestic-worker contract prohibits deducting wages for food.

Are deductions ever allowed?

Only specific ones, several needing the worker’s written consent and sometimes official approval — they are narrow exceptions, not a discretion.

What if the Act and the contract seem to differ?

Follow the stricter contract term that governs the relationship rather than a general mechanism.

DomesticHelper editorial teamReviewed 17 August 2026Sourced from Malaysian government registriesIndependent of the hiring agenciesEditorial standards