Kerian: the local picture
Kerian, seated at Parit Buntar, is one of Perak’s main rice-growing districts, bordering Kedah and Penang and home to the Bukit Merah reservoir. The Department of Statistics (DOSM) records a population of about 170,000 for Kerian.
Which process applies here
For hiring in Kerian: 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 Kerian, 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. 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 Kerian, 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 Kerian — who needs support, the main duties, timing and budget — then use it in every agency conversation.
Ask any agency serving Kerian for its legal name and licence number, and verify both before paying anything.