Expatriate Salary Requirements: Key Changes (Effective June 1, 2026)The basic misconception is the idea that expatriates are taking jobs from Malaysians. Second, it is already costly to pay for visas, relocation and expatriate salaries so they are not competitive in a cost sense. By raising wage thresholds, we are simply taxing critical knowledge transfer, not protecting local jobs. The new home ministry rules give a very bad signal that Malaysia is unfriendly to foreigners. This is due to tighter requirements, difficult recruitment conditions and a more welcome environment with better options in other countries.