Johor Bahru: the local picture
Johor Bahru is Johor’s state capital and Malaysia’s largest state-capital district by population, sitting directly across the Straits of Johor from Singapore. The Department of Statistics (DOSM) records a population of about 1.8 million for Johor Bahru.
Which process applies here
For hiring in Johor Bahru: Peninsular Malaysia uses the federal route: the Immigration Department issues the permit and the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) licenses the agencies. The Employment Act 1955 applies here.
Costs and checks that apply here
In Johor Bahru, Johor, the statutory costs are the ones set nationally: the permit and visa fees — which Immigration's own guidance bundles with the annual foreign-worker levy at approval and at each PLKS extension — the FOMEMA medical and PERKESO cover. Confirm the current levy amount with Immigration rather than budgeting it as waived.
There is no official cap on the service fee an agency charges a household in Johor Bahru, so compare written, itemised quotes and verify the licence on the JTKSM register before paying — a licence confirms legitimacy, not price.
What to do next
Write a short household brief for Johor Bahru — who needs support, the main duties, timing and budget — then use it in every agency conversation.
Ask any agency serving Johor Bahru for its legal name and licence number, and verify both before paying anything.