Labour Challenges in Malaysia’s Cleaning Industry: Rising Standards, Cost Pressures and Shrinking Supply

Labour Challenges in Malaysia’s Cleaning Industry: Rising Standards, Cost Pressures and Shrinking Supply

Malaysia’s cleaning industry is undergoing a transformation. Traditionally reliant on foreign labour and cost efficiency, the sector is now facing a convergence of structural changes that are reshaping how companies operate. From stricter labour standards and rising wages to global geopolitical pressures and tightening labour supply, these forces are redefining the economics of service delivery.

1. National Plan to Eliminate Forced Labour by 2030 

One of the most impactful shifts comes from the global and national push towards ethical labour practices. Malaysia is strengthening its response to forced labour through the development of the country’s National Action Plan on Forced Labour (NAP-FL) for the period 2026-2030. Ethical and compliant labour practices are expected to become a baseline regulatory requirement by 2030. The collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) reflects a strong commitment to strengthen occupational safety and health governance in Malaysia and to align national policies in line with the ILO standards.

For the cleaning industry, this means greater accountability in recruitment, stricter compliance requirements, and improved worker welfare standards. In this evolving environment, companies that adapt proactively will be better positioned to delivering consistent service quality. While these are necessary and positive developments, they also increase the cost and complexity of hiring, particularly for foreign workers.

2. Malaysia Moving Towards High-Income Nation 

Malaysia is on a clear trajectory towards becoming a high-income nation by 2030. Current projections assume an average annual growth of 6% in Gross National Income (GNI) per capita from 2024 to 2030, and a consistent 5% annual increase in the high-income threshold. Over the past decade, minimum wages have steadily increased, raising the baseline cost of labour across all sectors. For a labour-intensive industry like cleaning, where manpower constitutes a significant portion of operational costs, this creates considerable pressure on margins. Companies must now balance fair wages with competitive pricing in a market that remains highly cost-sensitive.

                    Sources:
                    1.
Trading Economics (2026). Malaysia Minimum Monthly Wages.
                    2.
The Star (2026, May 2) Govt targeting RM3,000 minimum wage by 2030.

3. Geopolitical Instability Raise Labour Cost

Adding to these challenges is the ongoing geopolitical instability in the Middle East. While it may not directly link to the cleaning sector, the ripple effects are substantial. Increased airfares, visa processing costs, and accommodation expenses have made the recruitment of foreign workers more expensive than ever. For companies committed to ethical hiring practices, such as adhering to the ILO’s Employer Pays Principle for workers, these costs are fully absorbed by the employer. As a result, the true cost of labour now extends far beyond wages, encompassing the entire recruitment and onboarding process. 


4.  Foreign Worker Application Restrictions

Compounding the issue is the Malaysian government’s move to restrict applications for foreign workers in certain sectors, including the cleaning industry. This policy is aimed at encouraging the employment of local workers. However, the reality on the ground presents challenges. The cleaning industry has historically struggled to attract local talent due to the nature of the work, leading to gaps in workforce availability. Additionally, local workers often have higher expectations in terms of wages and working conditions, further increasing operational costs and making workforce planning more complex.


Maclean’s Commitment to Responsible Labour Practices

Taken together, these factors point to a fundamental shift in the labour landscape. The traditional model of relying on low-cost, readily available labour is no longer sustainable. Janitorial facility management companies must now rethink strategies—investing in productivity improvements, adopting technology where possible, and enhancing employee value proposition to attract and retain workers.

At Maclean, we remain fully committed to upholding all labour regulations and ethical standards. We strictly comply with national labour policies and support global initiatives to eliminate forced labour. In line with the ILO guidelines, we uphold Employer Pays Principle, ensuring that no worker bears the cost of employment. As the industry evolves, our commitment is to build a responsible, sustainable workforce while continuing to deliver reliable and high-quality cleaning services.

References:
1.
International Labour Organization. (2025, December 3). Malaysia plans strengthened response to forced labour.
2.
International Labour Organization. (2026, April 21). Malaysia advances worker safety and health through ILO standards.
3. 
Malaysian Science and Technology Information Centre. (2026, April 21). Malaysia’s projected towards a high-income economy by 2030.
4. 
Maclean. (2025, June). Comparing Malaysia’s employment act and with the RBA code of conduct.

Beyond Cost Effective Solutions

“Thank you, Maclean team, for the good support and on time completion of the cleaning activities as required at the Phase 2 cafeteria and Phase 2 new wing office floor without any delays which met client satisfaction.”

Manufacturing

“The final cleaning has come to an end today. We appreciate your team's full commitment and cooperation in ensuring the successful completion of the cleaning work at Plot H. Your site person in charge and his team has performed well throughout the cleaning period. Their prompt response and action as well as their workmanship on the end-product satisfied us.”

Construction

“I would like to take this opportunity to first, thank you for the 9 years of services to the hospital. Maclean has offered a top-level cleaning service with the magnificent team of client service right down to the cleaner.

I am particularly writing to appreciate the cleaner, namely BAL BAHADUR, M. SUMON and MASLINDAH for their professionalism and exceptional work ethic. They are punctual, dependable and presented with more than what has been asked of them.”

Hospital

“We are writing to express my sincere appreciation for the exceptional work of the cleaning crew who was responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of our office premises. Over the past few weeks, we have observed the excellent work that Nur Alom has been doing, and we must say that his dedication and professionalism are truly commendable.

I have personally witnessed Nur Alom going the extra miles to ensure that the office is clean and hygienic especially during these challenging times post pandemic. His commitment to maintaining a clean and safe environment has been exceptional, and he has made a significant contribution to keep our workplace safe and healthy for all employees. “

Office

“We would like to express our thanks towards janitor Suriakala for excellent cleaning services rendered during Deep Cleaning activities on 14th and 28th January 2023. As well, we find her job deliverance is excellent and committed on daily routine tasks.

Hereby, we extend our thanks to Bobby, Fahmi for their prompt response of any inquiries and replacement planning during janitor's absence. We are also thankful to be supported by the Maclean team for

  • deep cleaning upholstery office chairs, sofa
  • fabric wall meeting rooms
  • fabric cubicle – employee workstation areas
  • lobby reception, breakout area, workstation area
  • floor scrubbing at carpeted area total approximately 3,617sqft
  • floor scrubbing at pantry vinyl floor area"
Office

“Excellent cleaning services. Prompt response of any inquiries and fast planning during your janitor on leave”

Hypermarket

“Excellent service during the summer break for the school opening preparations - efficient, gracious customer service, the level of detail and accountability you have demonstrated on the housekeeping service.”

Education

Our Supervisors and Crew Are Well Trained

“I received a verbal compliment from client on Crew’s performance & improvement after we had engagement meeting. Well done and keep up the good work!”

Office

“Services provided by the crew on site was good and amazing, especially the head of the crew obviously showing his excellent performance on managing his team that provided high quality cleanliness service throughout the year. They have shown a great team spirit and hope this can continue and maintained in future. I would also take this opportunity to congratulate Miss Nadia who trained such a good team and of course your good services to our company as well.”

Retail

“Thank you very much for the team you lead! Professional and high efficiency!”

Education

“Convey our outmost appreciations for the excellent service provided to our team in Bayan Lepas. Your team, which is Samy and his supportive team, have been doing great jobs & supported us. Samy has been committed to all the tasks given with fast response from him & the teams.”

Manufacturing

“Formally and sincerely express our gratitude for the amazing honesty your team shown during recently lost and found case. Nurhayati Binti Abdullah had shown exceptional discipline and dedication to her daily work. Her actions directly impacted our image and Maclean directly benefited the team and company on a greater level. Once again, thank you for the leadership shown by Maclean’s management team – Kak Mis on the diligence and integrity adopted for all the team on the site.”

Office

“Layanan yang sangat baik, berdisiplin, komited, sabar, berbudi bahasa dan sentiasa positif.”

3S Centre

“Thank You for the Good Service. I would like to express my deep appreciation for the women who are doing the cleaning at our premise. I am very satisfied with their work! I would like to thank Diana (supervisor) and Sajib who always monitor and ensure someone to cover when the cleaners go on leave. Good teamwork and dependable.”

Education

We Are Well Versed with Various Industry Compliancy Requirements

“Congratulations “Maclean Team” as all cleaners have successfully passed the EHS training that was conducted on site.

We are satisfied with their service”

Manufacturing

“Thanks for your team’s kind support to maintain the cleanliness of our LMM plant during our two important events:

(1) EHS Corporate Audit

(2) EHS Plan Forum Recognition”

Manufacturing

“Thank you very much for giving 100% support and for ensuring we followed and maintained proper social distancing amid the events.”

Manufacturing

“Gratitude for Maclean’s performance and support during our compliance audit held last October. Maclean’s team has made so much effort in order to keep our business running with full compliance. It's a good image that we comply to every legal requirement that was relevant with Maclean’s help. Maimunah has been key player into this Audit weeks.”

Office

“Many thanks to Zura for the last compliance audit which covered compliance in pharmaceuticals.”

Office

“Our management would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank you for the excellent service provided to our facility especially for the fresh goods department, for maintaining cleanliness as per our standard.”

Hypermarket

“Able to answer questions from Auditor during ISO Audit.”

Office

Understanding Urgency and Providing Personalised Attention

“We would like to extend our greatest appreciation to you and your team for all the hard work going the extra mile ensuring everything is ready for the event. We know there were a quite a bit of last-minute requests, but you guys managed to extend your excellent service and that made a difference definitely. We appreciate your contribution and management also relay their appreciation and gratitude to all the Janitor team. Thank you so much for being good support for this event and hope this good performance can be maintained.”

Manufacturing

“Hope you are doing great. For the past few months Samy Rau has been supervising our Penang location. We are very grateful that he has been showing his interest and helping me to solve a lot of problems. His presence here during the site visit has made us able to voice up regarding most issues directly. Most pending issues have been resolved. We hope that we will make a better team in future.”

Manufacturing

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Samy and the team, especially Ali Raihan, Sajib Sikdar and all Maclean team members for helping our team on the water leaking issue that happened. Their fast respond to our call during midnight and coming to help us to handle the situation. Keep it up and continue to work together and support our Facilities team.”

Manufacturing

“They are remarkable with their attitudes. The way they go above and beyond to ensure that all our events are presented well, their sense of collaboration and attention to detail is greatly valued.”

Education

“I would like to extend our appreciation for the amazing work done by your team on site especially team leader, Maimunah in supporting several occasions of main event. They have been supportive in terms of logistic, pre-event preparation and on top of that making the event running smoothly.

Please pass my appreciation to Maimunah, Sulaiman, Susilawati and Haipah for their support.”

Office

In addition to the above, we are proud and grateful to receive 2 awards from CBRE:

  • Exceptional Service Award 2022 
  • Best Safety and Covid Response Award 2022

So, try us out and experience the Maclean service first-hand. 

To find out more on how we give you the best value for your budget without compromising your health or safety, please connect with us at 03-7773 0300 or enquire@maclean.com.my.

June 2026
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