Meanwhile, Singaporeans who have worked in Malaysia for more than a decade whom CNA spoke to are clear about the trade-off: Salaries could be lower, alongside more bureaucracy and inefficiency, but with relatively lower living costs and higher quality of life, they said.
Entrepreneurs thinking of setting up shop in Malaysia will also benefit from a larger market and lower overheads, they added.
Experts said that while there are growing signs of more Singapore-linked businesses expanding into Malaysia, along with increased cross-border work arrangements and regional roles, the trend remains gradual rather than widespread.
“I believe the trend will remain largely confined to highly skilled professionals, specialists and leadership roles rather than the general workforce,” said Arulkumar Singaraveloo, chief executive officer of the Malaysia HR Forum, a human resource consultancy.
“Cost remains the biggest consideration, and employing Singaporeans on local Malaysian salary packages would often not be financially attractive to either employers or employees.”
TREND CONFINED TO SKILLED TALENT, GROWTH SECTORS
While there are no official figures, the most current estimate indicates that about 120,000 Singaporeans live and work in Malaysia.
In contrast, Malaysia’s then-human resources minister V Sivakumar said in 2023 that 1.13 million Malaysians were living in Singapore as of 2022.
Singaraveloo – the HR expert – said there are currently no official statistics showing a significant increase in the number of Singaporeans working in Malaysia.
Those who do so are typically employed in multinational corporations, finance, technology, manufacturing, education and healthcare, usually in specialised, leadership or regional management roles, he said.
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