Compliance 6 min read

Hiring Your First Employee: EPF, SOCSO & EIS Explained

Back to GuidesPosted On: 16 Jun 2026

Hiring your first employee in Malaysia means more than a salary — you take on three statutory contributions. Here's what each costs and how to set it up.

1. EPF (KWSP) — retirement savings

The big one. For a typical employee under 60:

Employee: 11% of wages
Employer: 13% for monthly wages of RM5,000 and below, or 12% above RM5,000

Register as an employer with KWSP and remit by the 15th of the following month.

2. SOCSO (PERKESO) — injury & invalidity

Covers work injuries and invalidity:

Employer: about 1.75% of insured wages
Employee: 0.5%

The contribution wage ceiling is RM6,000 per month (raised from RM4,000 in late 2024).

3. EIS — Employment Insurance System

Helps workers who lose their job:

Employee: 0.2% — Employer: 0.2%

Same RM6,000 wage ceiling. SOCSO and EIS are filed together via the ASSIST portal.

What you must do as a new employer

1Register with KWSP and PERKESO (and open an LHDN employer file for PCB) when you take on staff.
2Deduct the employee's share from salary and add the employer's share.
3Remit all contributions by the 15th of the following month.
4Operate PCB (MTD) — monthly tax deductions — if the employee is taxable.

Quick cost example

On a RM3,000 salary, expect roughly RM390 EPF + about RM53 SOCSO + RM6 EIS in *employer* contributions on top of the wage — budget for it.

Looking for funding?

Browse verified Malaysian SME grants and check what you may qualify for.

Browse grants

Sources:KWSP (EPF)PERKESO (SOCSO)

General information only — schemes, rules and requirements change. Always follow the official source(s) and confirm the latest details before acting.

Back to GuidesPosted On: 16 Jun 2026

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