Hiring in Kelantan: the local picture
Kelantan sits in the peninsula’s north-east corner on the Thai border, with Kota Bharu as its capital. The Department of Statistics (DOSM) records a population of about 1.9 million for Kelantan.
Which process applies here
For Kelantan: 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.
Kelantan sits in the peninsula’s far north-east corner, closer to Kota Bharu than to Kuala Lumpur — if the agency you’re considering is Klang Valley-based, ask upfront how it handles a household this far from its office, rather than assuming service is identical to a KL household’s.
Costs and checks that apply here
In Kelantan 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. Use the first-year cost guide for the current figures rather than an agency estimate.
There is no official cap on the service fee an agency charges a household in Kelantan, 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 Kelantan — who needs support, the main duties, timing and budget — then use it in every agency conversation.
Ask any agency serving Kelantan for its legal name and licence number, and verify both before paying anything.