Kunak: the local picture
Kunak is a district in Sabah’s Tawau Division, part of Lahad Datu District until it was elevated to a full district in 1990. The Department of Statistics (DOSM) records a population of about 78,000 for Kunak.
Which process applies here
For hiring in Kunak: Sabah runs its own system: the Sabah Labour Department handles non-resident worker management separately from Peninsular JTKSM, under the Sabah Labour Ordinance — the Employment Act 1955 does not extend here.
Costs and checks that apply here
In Kunak, Sabah, 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 Kunak, 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 Kunak — who needs support, the main duties, timing and budget — then use it in every agency conversation.
Ask any agency serving Kunak for its legal name and licence number, and verify both before paying anything.