Samarahan: the local picture
Kota Samarahan is the administrative seat of Samarahan District in Samarahan Division and functions as a satellite town of Kuching, serving as Sarawak’s medical and education hub. The Department of Statistics (DOSM) records a population of about 137,000 for Samarahan.
Which process applies here
For hiring in Samarahan: Sarawak uses its own GENESIS/HAVEN system and the Sarawak Labour Department, under the Sarawak Labour Ordinance — separate from the Peninsular route, and the Employment Act 1955 does not extend here.
Costs and checks that apply here
In Samarahan, Sarawak, 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 Samarahan, 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 Samarahan — who needs support, the main duties, timing and budget — then use it in every agency conversation.
Ask any agency serving Samarahan for its legal name and licence number, and verify both before paying anything.