CV formats / Malaysia
🇲🇾 Malaysia CV format
Two pages, photo common, and work-permit status stated clearly.
- CalledResume
- PhotoOptional
- Length2 pages
- Personal detailsNationality and visa status expected; photo common
- Paper sizeA4
- DatesMonth YYYY
- ReferencesNamed referees common
- LanguageEnglish widely used; Bahasa Malaysia an asset.
Malaysian conventions are close to Singapore's, with a slightly more relaxed attitude to photographs and length.
Photo is common
Unlike Singapore, a photograph is fairly standard on a Malaysian resume, particularly for local employers. International companies are more mixed.
Work permit status
State it. Employment Pass categories, and whether you require sponsorship, determine whether an employer can consider you at all.
Expected salary
Malaysian job adverts frequently ask for current and expected salary, and applications sometimes require it. Where asked, answer; do not volunteer it otherwise.
Language
English is the working language of most multinational and many local employers. Bahasa Malaysia is an asset and required for some government-linked roles. Mandarin is genuinely valuable in parts of the private sector — state it if you have it.
Length and detail
Two pages, with more detail on responsibilities than a UK employer would want. Named referees with contact details are common.
Build a Malaysia CV
Opens with the photo on and the page size set to A4 — the settings this country expects. Change anything you like.
Conventions as generally reported; verify against a current local source. Last updated 29 August 2026.