Kota Setar: the local picture
Kota Setar District is home to both Kedah’s state capital, Alor Setar, and the state’s royal town, Anak Bukit. The Department of Statistics (DOSM) records a population of about 383,000 for Kota Setar.
Which process applies here
For hiring in Kota Setar: 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 Kota Setar, Kedah, 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 Kota Setar, 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 Kota Setar — who needs support, the main duties, timing and budget — then use it in every agency conversation.
Ask any agency serving Kota Setar for its legal name and licence number, and verify both before paying anything.