Get the date down before anything else
Whatever she tells you, and however she tells you, write down the date and what was said, even if it is just a short dated note or message thread. Employment Act 1955 s.57 applies in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan; Sabah and Sarawak run their own separate labour ordinances, so which rule governs your household depends on where you are.
Sarawak’s Labour Ordinance, amended 1 May 2025, sets an almost identical rule to s.57: 14 days’ notice or 14 days’ wages in lieu, available to either side. Sabah’s exact equivalent was not confirmed by any source found for this guide — worth checking directly with Sabah’s labour department rather than assuming it lines up with the Peninsular or Sarawak figure.
- A dated written record of what she told you
- Which state’s rule applies to your household
- Whether 14 days’ notice or 14 days’ indemnity is the route you are both using
Notice, indemnity, or immediate — which one applies
Section 57 gives two ordinary routes, open to either party: 14 days’ notice, or settling that same amount as an indemnity instead of serving it out. A resignation on its own does not decide which of these applies — it is a choice the two of you settle together, not something either side can dictate unilaterally.
The third route — ending the contract immediately, with no notice and no indemnity — is different. It only opens up where there has been an actual breach: conduct by either side that runs against what the contract requires, not simply a decision to move on. Her resigning is not, by itself, that kind of conduct.
What comes after the notice question is settled
Once you have agreed which route you are using, the practical steps that follow — final wages, documents, the exit process — are covered in full in the dedicated guide on ending employment properly, rather than repeated here. If she is leaving Malaysia, that process also includes a Check-Out Memo with Immigration, covered in its own dedicated guide.
One duty sits outside both of those: Employment Act 1955 s.57B requires you to inform the Director General of Labour within 30 days of her service ending, whatever the reason, including a resignation. Missing that window carries a fine of up to RM50,000, raised from an earlier RM10,000 cap by a 2023 amendment — a separate step from anything Immigration handles.