Hiring in Kuala Lumpur: the local picture
Kuala Lumpur is the federal capital and the country’s densest urban area. The Department of Statistics (DOSM) records a population of about 2.1 million for Kuala Lumpur.
Which process applies here
For Kuala Lumpur: 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.
Kuala Lumpur is a federal territory on the federal route, so hiring works just like the rest of Peninsular Malaysia — check any agency you contact against the JTKSM register.
Costs and checks that apply here
In Kuala Lumpur 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 Kuala Lumpur, 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 Kuala Lumpur — who needs support, the main duties, timing and budget — then use it in every agency conversation.
Ask any agency serving Kuala Lumpur for its legal name and licence number, and verify both before paying anything.