Sipitang: the local picture
Sipitang District, in the southwest of Sabah, has a coastline on Brunei Bay and serves as a land entry point between Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei. The Department of Statistics (DOSM) records a population of about 41,000 for Sipitang.
Which process applies here
For hiring in Sipitang: 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 Sipitang, 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 Sipitang, 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 Sipitang — who needs support, the main duties, timing and budget — then use it in every agency conversation.
Ask any agency serving Sipitang for its legal name and licence number, and verify both before paying anything.