Advisory for Indian Professionals

1. The Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is aware about fake job offers being made to Indian citizens by unscrupulous elements purportedly in the name of prominent multi-national or Malaysian companies such as Petronas, Mobil, Swiss Resorts, Malaysian Airlines etc. Mostly such offers are made over the internet, phone or through agents. These job offers are invariably accompanied by demands that the Indian job applicant should pay advance money in the form of passport, visa or ticket charges, and security deposits, before the employment contract is finalized.
   
2. Unscrupulous persons who may seek to cheat Indian citizens with such employment offers usually send an initial email with the offer of employment. Thereafter they try to gain confidence of the job seeker by showing him/ her forged documents to convince him/ her that the employment offer is genuine. Such persons may then ask for large sums of money in advance. Sometimes these unscrupulous persons may also go to the extent of buying a ticket and getting the visa on the passport in an effort to convince the Indian citizen that the employment opportunity is bonafide. In majority of such cases, the Indian citizen does not have any direct contact with the company that is purportedly offering him/ her employment, and they rely entirely on persons who claim to speak on behalf of the company. In several cases, Indian citizens have been cheated for large amounts of money. In other cases, Indian citizens have been brought by such persons to Malaysia, and then abandoned at the airport or in Kuala Lumpur without passport, tickets or money.
   
3. The Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, therefore, advises all Indian citizens that should they receive any offer of employment in Malaysia, they may wish to ensure the genuineness of the offer by directly getting in touch with their prospective employer over telephone / e-mail etc. They should insist on dealing directly with the company that is offering employment in Malaysia rather than through the agent. The Indian citizens should invariably verify and confirm the employment contract and any other documents purportedly sent by the company by directly contacting them. If no response or reply is received from the company, it is possible that the job offer is a fraudulent one. Further, Indian citizens are advised not to make advance payments to any individuals claiming to offer employment in Malaysia unless and until he/ she is fully satisfied that the employment opportunity is genuine.
   
4. Even if the Indian citizen is satisfied that the offer is genuine, he/ she is advised to ensure that they receive valid travel document issued by the Malaysian Government before they travel to Malaysia for employment. It is understood from Malaysian authorities that a professionals/ expats requires a 'Visa With Reference' (VDR) to enter Malaysia. All applications for VDR have to be made by the sponsor / company / institution in Malaysia to the Immigration Department in Malaysia. On receipt of approval from Immigration, which is conveyed to the job applicant by the Malaysian company, the applicant may apply for VDR stamping at Malaysian High Commission in India. Following category are covered under VDR,

	Employment Pass- Expatriate
	Dependent Pass- Family member who come as a dependent to the expat
	Social visit pass ( Temporary Employment) (PL(KS))
	Student Pass
	Professional Visit Pass (PLIK)

5. 'Visa With Reference' is generally Single Entry and valid for 3 months. This visa enables the applicant to enter and remain in Malaysia generally for a period of 30 days. Thereafter, the professional needs to apply for and get an 'Employment Pass' which allows multiple entries and is generally valid for one year, which is renewable.
   
6. Therefore Indian citizens who are intending to work in Malaysia are advised to carefully check their passport prior to departure from India to ensure in particular that the Malaysian visa is not a 'Social Visit Pass' meant for Tourism / Journalism / Attending Business Meeting etc. Please note that Indian nationals are not permitted to work in Malaysia on a 'Social Visit Pass' meant for Tourism/ Business etc. It may be noted that the Malaysian Emigration Rules are very stringent and Indian citizens who work in Malaysia without valid Work Permit / Employment Pass are liable to be arrested and imprisoned if caught.
   
7. The Indian High Commission in Malaysia receives enquiries from Indian nationals asking the High Commission to verify antecedents of companies who have offered them employment. Indian citizens are advised that the Indian High Commission does not have the capacity to verify and confirm in all cases whether the offer of employment is genuine. Therefore, Indian citizens may kindly ensure that they have fully satisfied themselves about the genuineness of the employment offer prior to their departure from India, in order to avoid inconvenience and difficulty upon arrival in Malaysia.

Disclaimer: The aforesaid Advisory is issued in the interest of Indian citizens seeking employment in Malaysia. However, the compliance / non-compliance of the Advisory will not in any way entitle the job applicant or their legal heirs to bring action against the High Commission of India at Kuala Lumpur for loss of property / livelihood.


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