Hiring in Perak: the local picture
Perak, capital Ipoh, stretches from the northern hills down to the coast — the old tin-mining heartland. The Department of Statistics (DOSM) records a population of about 2.6 million for Perak.
Which process applies here
For Perak: 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.
Perak’s households are spread across many towns from the northern hills down to the coast, not concentrated around one city the way Melaka’s are — if you’re outside Ipoh, confirm which town any in-person step (interview, document handover) actually happens in before you travel.
Costs and checks that apply here
In Perak 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 Perak, 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 Perak — who needs support, the main duties, timing and budget — then use it in every agency conversation.
Ask any agency serving Perak for its legal name and licence number, and verify both before paying anything.