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InsightMonthly Roundup

September 2025 Monthly Roundup

September 26, 20253 min read

Your monthly guide to regulatory and workforce developments in Malaysia

Expats Service Centre (Northern Office) Relocation

Effective 8 September 2025, the Expats Service Centre – Northern Office (under MDEC) will relocate to UAB Building, Georgetown, Penang

Key details:

  • Operational changes:
    • 4 Sept: Open 8am–12pm
    • 8 Sept: Open 2pm–5pm
  • Submission cut-off for passport endorsement: 2 Sept 2025
  • Normal operations resume: 8 Sept, 2pm onwards

Clients are encouraged to plan submissions early to avoid disruption.

Malaysia Scores 7.60 on 2024 Happiness Index — “Happy” Category Achieved

Malaysia’s latest Happiness Index 2024 places the country in the “Happy” category, with a score of 7.60.

Key findings:

  • The index measures happiness across 13 components including religion, family, health, housing, working life, and more.
  • Religion/spiritual well‑being (8.69) and family (8.64) were the top-rated drivers of happiness.
  • Income and culture posted the lowest scores among the 13 components.
  • Women (7.62) scored slightly higher than men (7.57) in overall happiness.

Source

AI-driven National Integrated Immigration System Pilots in Johor

Malaysia has launched a pilot for its National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe) at Johor checkpoints — specifically at Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) and Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI).

The pilot signals the shift toward a tech-enabled, unified border management system incorporating AI and biometric verification, rather than relying on fragmented platforms.

Eventually, NIISe is expected to scale across multiple entry points, enhancing efficiency, security, and interoperability in Malaysia’s immigration operations.

Source

Labour Market Update – July 2025 (Department of Statistics Malaysia)

Malaysia’s labour market remained stable in July 2025, with these key highlights:

Unemployment Rate

  • Held steady at 3.0%, with 521,600 unemployed individuals.
  • Youth unemployment (ages 15–24): 10.2%
  • Youth unemployment (ages 15–30): 6.2%
  • 79.8% of the unemployed were actively seeking jobs.

Employment Figures

  • Total employed: 16.95 million (+0.2% from June)
  • Employees made up 75% of employed persons.
  • Growth seen in own-account workers (+0.4%) and services sector roles, especially:
    • Wholesale & retail trade
    • Accommodation & food services
    • Information & communication

Underemployment

  • Fewer people worked less than 30 hours/week (240,500 people, –1.0%)
  • Time-related underemployment also dropped by –2.1%

Labour Force Participation

  • Labour force size: 17.47 million
  • Participation rate: 70.8%

Outside the Labour Force

  • Rose slightly to 7.19 million
  • Top reasons:
    • Housework/family responsibilities: 43.7%
    • Schooling/training: 40.8%

Looking Ahead

  • DOSM projects stable and resilient labour market performance.
  • Key drivers: domestic investment, strategic government policies, upskilling, and the green economy.

Source

Osadi: Your Partner in Workforce Management

At Osadi, we are committed to supporting our clients through these regulatory changes. We’re here to ensure your workforce remains efficient, compliant, and future-ready. Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for personalized assistance as we navigate 2025 together.

Prepared by Ken Wooi
Business Development Team
bdteam@osadi.com.my