The ministry said there was previously no fixed duration for expat passes, and that the new rule was to ensure that highly skilled expats would continue contributing to Malaysia’s development.

It said this would function as a guide for employers in planning for locals to eventually take over the jobs held by expat workers.

The new expat policy will see the minimum salary of expatriates under its top category raised from RM10,000 a month to RM20,000 a month.

For those in the second tier, the minimum salary will be raised from RM5,000-RM9,999 to RM10,000-RM19,999, while the minimum wage for the third category of passes is revised from RM3,000-RM4,999 to RM5,000-RM9,999.

The employment period for the first category of expat passes will be fixed at 10 years, while the second category will have a 10-year validity with a local workforce succession plan.

For the third category, it will be fixed at five years with a local workforce succession plan included.

All expats are allowed to bring their dependents with them.

The ministry said it will hold engagements with all stakeholders ahead of the June 1 implementation date, including industry players, employers’ groups, and agencies involved in the rollout.

“We will explain the implementation mechanism and the policy implications and ensure that this transition proceeds in an orderly and transparent manner without affecting business sustainability.

“The government will continue to ensure that every policy renewal is implemented in stages in a balanced manner based on the nation’s interest, for the sake of ensuring sustainable economic development and local human capital growth in the long-term,” it said.