The work culture in Malaysia is unique; people who work there will experience situations which are rarely experienced in workplaces of other countries.
This culture stems primarily from Islamic cultures as Malaysia is an Islamic country. Practices such as dressing modestly and an allowance of a 2-hour lunch break on Fridays for congregational prayers are byproducts of the Islamic culture.
Learning about the work culture within Malaysia will help build stronger relationships within the office. Be it learning how to greet someone properly, or understanding the hierarchy in the workplace, these cultural nuances can make a big difference in how one relates with his or her colleagues, clients, and bosses. By displaying respect and understanding of Malaysian culture, an individual will then be able to establish trust and rapport swiftly.
Work Practices in Malaysia
With its cultural diversity, work practices such as working hours, employment laws, and more can be different. Let’s deep into the more common work practices in Malaysia.
Employment in Malaysia
Malaysia’s total workforce of consists of over 16 million people, thus, approximately 50% of Malaysia’s population are part of its workforce.
Despite the percentage of Malaysia’s total work force rising since the year before, Malaysia’s unemployment rate had raised to a 4.8% in 2021, up from the relatively constant rate between 3%-4% in 2019 and before, mainly due to the effects of the pandemic.
To work in Malaysia, a work visa will be required.
Differences in Malaysia’s Work Culture
Just like any other country, Malaysia has a distinctive work culture a differs from those of other countries in significant ways.
Problems Often Faced in a Malaysian Workplace
No workplace is perfect. However, there is a common theme of problems that many have experienced while working in a Malaysian workplace and this should be noted.
Working in Malaysia
Despite the difficulties faced in a Malaysian workplace, Malaysia ranked as 6th when it comes to ease of doing business and has attracted many global talents because of its standard of living in the country.
FAQs
There are several ways through which foreigners can best adapt to Malaysian work culture. Among these is by understanding the hierarchical culture of Malaysian society.
Foreigners should also be willing and ready to socialize with Malaysians at any time. They must also display proper values, morality, and ethics in front of their employers as well as other Malaysian citizens. Foreigners are also advised to learn to read and speak Malay as it would be very much to their benefit.
The average duration of a workday in Malaysia is nine hours, including one hour for a lunch break. This duration is similar to those of most other countries; however, it is also common for many employees in Malaysia to be required to work beyond these hours.
There are not many significant differences between the work culture of a foreign company based in Malaysia as compared to that of a Malaysian company. This is because the foreign company is usually regarded as a resident company of Malaysia.
Thus, in many ways, work culture in a Malaysia-based foreign company mimics that of a Malaysian company, though there may be slight differences.