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The Carriera Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the recruitment, tax-compliance and HRD-Corp-claimable training terms Carriera uses every day in Malaysia — covering licensing labels like JTKSM 615 and SBL-Khas, statutory schemes such as EPF, SOCSO and EIS, and tax terms from PCB/MTD to the MyInvois e-Invoice, each with a canonical definition and how it applies in practice.
The short answer
This glossary defines the recruitment, tax and HRD-Corp-claimable training terms that recur across Carriera's work — from licensing labels like JTKSM 615 and SBL-Khas to statutory terms like the Employment Act 1955, the ITA 1967, EPF, SOCSO, EIS, SST and the MyInvois e-Invoice system. Each entry gives a canonical definition and how it applies in our context.
Key takeaways
- Two regulators, both under MoHR. Carriera's recruitment arm holds employment-agency licence JTKSM 615; Carriera Academy is an HRD Corp Approved Training Provider, so its courses are SBL-Khas claimable.
- HRD Corp levy funds the training. Registered employers pay a monthly levy — 1% of wages for mandatory employers (10+ staff), 0.5% for optional ones (5–9) — and that pot pays for claimable courses.
- Three statutory payroll deductions. EPF (KWSP), SOCSO (PERKESO) and EIS (SIP) sit on every compliant Malaysian offer, alongside PCB/MTD income-tax withholding to LHDN.
- Pay floor is RM1,700/month. The Minimum Wages Order set this nationwide from 1 August 2025; it anchors any offer we help structure.
- Tax terms recur across our training. ITA 1967, SST, the MyInvois e-Invoice, capital statements and AMLA each have a precise meaning — defined below with its source.
Quick index — all terms
- HRD Corp (HRDF)
- HRD Levy
- SBL-Khas
- PSMB Act 2001
- JTKSM 615
- MoHR
- Employment Act 1955
- Minimum Wages Order
- Permanent Placement
- Contingency Recruitment & Fee
- Retained & Executive Search
- Replacement Guarantee
- Headhunting & Shortlisting
- CV Screening
- Salary Band
- EPF / SOCSO / EIS
- PCB / MTD & LHDN
- ITA 1967
- SST
- e-Invoice & MyInvois
- Capital Statement
- Tax Audit vs Investigation
- AMLA
- OLAP / Pivot Table
- Form PK
How should I read this glossary?
Entries are grouped by theme below — recruitment, HRD Corp and levy, employment law and payroll, then tax and compliance. Each term gets a one-to-two-sentence canonical definition, followed by an "in our context" line showing how Carriera uses it across recruitment and corporate training. Where a term involves an external rate or rule, the number is verified against the relevant authority and linked. Anything you cannot find here, just ask us on WhatsApp.
What do the HRD Corp and levy terms mean?
HRD Corp terms govern how Malaysian employers fund training from a statutory levy. The figures below are taken directly from HRD Corp's own published guidance; we cite the source so you can confirm the current rate before you budget.
| Term | One-line meaning | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| HRD levy rate | 1% of monthly wages + fixed allowances (mandatory, 10+ employees); 0.5% (optional, 5–9 employees) | hrdcorp.gov.my/faq |
| SBL-Khas | Course fee debited from the employer's levy account instead of paid upfront | HRD Corp support centre |
What statutory deductions sit on a Malaysian payroll?
Every compliant offer carries the same three social contributions plus monthly tax withholding. The table is a quick map; full definitions follow below. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, MSMEs — the SMEs most of these rules bite hardest on — employ 48.7% of the workforce, some 8,100,000 people, and make up 96.1% of business establishments.
| Deduction | What it funds | Administered by |
|---|---|---|
| EPF (KWSP) | Mandatory retirement savings | kwsp.gov.my |
| SOCSO (PERKESO) | Employment-injury & invalidity protection | perkeso.gov.my |
| EIS (SIP) | Temporary income support if a job is lost | perkeso.gov.my |
| PCB / MTD | Monthly income-tax withholding | hasil.gov.my |
Define the word once, define it right — then point you to the people who set the rule.
- HRD Corp (HRDF)
- The Human Resource Development Corporation — the agency, formerly known as HRDF, that administers Malaysia's statutory training levy under the PSMB Act 2001. In our context: Carriera Academy is an HRD Corp Approved Training Provider, so eligible employers can fund our programmes from their levy. (Rates per hrdcorp.gov.my.)
- HRD Levy (HRDF Levy)
- A monthly training levy that registered employers pay to HRD Corp, calculated on employees' monthly wages plus fixed allowances. HRD Corp states the rate is 1% for mandatory employers (10 or more Malaysian employees) and 0.5% for optional employers (5 to 9 employees) — see hrdcorp.gov.my/faq. In our context: this accumulated levy is what pays for claimable training, so it is worth confirming your current balance before registering. Estimate yours with our levy calculator.
- SBL-Khas
- Skim Bantuan Latihan Khas — the HRD Corp Claimable Courses scheme. Per HRD Corp's support centre, the course fee is debited from the employer's levy account rather than paid upfront, provided the course and training provider are registered with HRD Corp. In our context: Carriera Academy's programmes are SBL-Khas claimable.
- PSMB Act 2001
- The Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Act 2001 — the law establishing the training levy and HRD Corp's mandate. The duty to register and pay the levy flows from this Act and its First Schedule. In our context: it is the statutory backbone behind every "HRD Corp claimable" label you see on our training.
- JTKSM 615
- Carriera's private employment agency licence number, issued by Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Semenanjung Malaysia (the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department) under the Ministry of Human Resources. In our context: it authorises Agensi Pekerjaan Carriera Talent Resources Sdn Bhd to operate as a licensed recruitment agency — proof your hiring partner is properly licensed.
- MoHR (Ministry of Human Resources)
- Kementerian Sumber Manusia — the federal ministry overseeing labour law, employment-agency licensing (JTKSM) and HRD Corp. In our context: both of Carriera's regulators — our recruitment licence and our training-provider status — sit under MoHR.
- Employment Act 1955
- Malaysia's principal labour statute, setting minimum terms such as working hours, leave, notice and termination. In our context: we screen offers and placements against its requirements, and it anchors much of Carriera Academy's HR and payroll training.
- Minimum Wages Order
- The subsidiary legislation under the National Wages Consultative Council Act 2011 that sets Malaysia's statutory minimum monthly wage. The current order lifts the floor to RM1,700 a month — from 1 February 2025 for larger employers and nationwide from 1 August 2025. In our context: it sets the basic-pay floor for any offer we help structure — see our RM1,700 minimum wage guide.
- Permanent Placement
- Recruitment for a full-time, ongoing role where the hired person becomes a direct employee of the client. In our context: this is Carriera's core service — white-collar permanent roles from management to specialist technical positions across Peninsular Malaysia.
- Contingency Recruitment
- An engagement model where the agency is paid only when a candidate it presents is actually hired — success-based, with no upfront retainer. In our context: Carriera does not publish a fee percentage; arrangements are agreed directly with each client. Ask us via contact.
- Contingency Fee
- The success fee an agency charges only when a placement is made, typically a percentage of the candidate's first-year annual salary — no hire, no fee. In our context: we do not publish a fixed percentage; terms are agreed per assignment. See how agency fees work in Malaysia.
- Retained Search
- An exclusive engagement — usually for senior or hard-to-fill roles — where the client pays in staged instalments across the search rather than only on success, in return for dedicated, prioritised effort and confidentiality. In our context: see our contingency vs retained comparison to decide which model fits your role.
- Executive Search
- A specialised, usually retained, recruitment discipline focused on senior leadership and confidential mandates, where candidates are mapped and approached discreetly rather than sourced through job ads. In our context: it is the highest-touch end of headhunting — we explain where it differs from a standard agency in our agency vs headhunter guide.
- Replacement Guarantee
- A common recruitment-agency term: if a placed candidate leaves or is dismissed within an agreed window, the agency finds a replacement at no or reduced additional fee. In our context: the exact period is set in the engagement terms we agree with you before a search begins.
- Headhunting
- Proactively identifying and approaching specific high-calibre or passive candidates for a role, rather than waiting for applicants to come to you. In our context: we apply a quality-over-volume approach, so clients see a focused shortlist of genuinely suitable people, not a flood of CVs.
- Shortlisting
- Narrowing a candidate pool down to the few best-fit people a client should interview, after assessing qualifications, technical knowledge, experience and soft skills. In our context: it is step four of Carriera's six-step recruitment process.
- CV Screening
- The manual review of candidate CVs against a role's real requirements before anyone is shortlisted. In our context: Carriera screens every candidate by hand rather than auto-filtering, which is exactly why clients receive a curated shortlist instead of a CV flood.
- Salary Band
- A pay range defined for a given role level or grade, with a floor and a ceiling, used to benchmark an offer consistently and defensibly. In our context: we map roles to five broad bands by seniority — see the Malaysian salary guide for how to set pay.
- EPF (KWSP)
- The Employees Provident Fund / Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja — Malaysia's mandatory retirement savings fund, built from employer and employee contributions on wages. In our context: it is a standard part of any compliant employment offer we help structure for a placement.
- SOCSO (PERKESO)
- The Social Security Organisation / Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial — provides employment-injury and invalidity protection through compulsory employer and employee contributions. In our context: like EPF, it forms part of a standard Malaysian employment package on any offer we advise on.
- EIS (SIP)
- The Employment Insurance System / Sistem Insurans Pekerjaan, administered by PERKESO. Funded by small employer and employee contributions, it gives temporary income support and re-employment help to workers who lose their jobs. In our context: it is the third statutory payroll deduction alongside EPF and SOCSO — all covered in our payroll deductions guide.
- PCB / MTD
- Potongan Cukai Bulanan / Monthly Tax Deduction — the income tax an employer withholds from each employee's monthly pay and remits to LHDN, so tax is settled progressively through the year rather than in one lump sum. In our context: getting PCB right is a core part of compliant payroll, and a recurring topic in our tax and payroll training.
- LHDN (IRB)
- Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri — the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia, responsible for direct taxes including income tax, PCB/MTD deductions and the e-Invoice rollout. In our context: LHDN compliance runs through our tax, payroll and finance training themes.
- ITA 1967 (Income Tax Act 1967)
- Malaysia's principal direct-tax statute, administered by LHDN. It governs what income is taxable and which expenses are deductible — notably the Section 33(1) wholly-and-exclusively rule and the Section 39 list of disallowed deductions. In our context: it is the backbone of our tax training — see which business expenses are deductible under the ITA 1967.
- SST (Sales & Service Tax)
- Malaysia's Sales and Service Tax, administered by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department. It can apply to certain professional and training fees, and its scope was expanded from 1 July 2025. In our context: we invoice in line with prevailing SST rules — read our SST scope expansion guide.
- e-Invoice
- LHDN's electronic invoicing system, which requires businesses to issue invoices in a validated digital format and submit them to the tax authority. In our context: helping finance and admin teams adapt to e-Invoice is a frequent subject of our employer e-Invoice training.
- MyInvois
- The LHDN portal and platform through which businesses validate and submit e-Invoices in Malaysia, generating the validated document with its unique identifier and QR code. The rollout is phased by annual turnover. In our context: MyInvois is the practical "where and how" behind the mandate — see who is exempt from e-Invoice.
- Capital Statement
- A net-worth reconciliation LHDN may require, comparing the growth in a person's assets less liabilities against their declared income over a period; an unexplained gap can be treated as deemed income. In our context: it is often requested during an audit — read what a capital statement is and why LHDN asks for one.
- Tax Audit vs Tax Investigation
- Two distinct LHDN enforcement actions. A tax audit is a routine examination of records to verify your declarations; a tax investigation is a more serious enquiry into suspected fraud or wilful evasion, carrying heavier penalties. In our context: knowing which you face shapes how you respond — see our LHDN audit readiness guide.
- AMLA (AMLATFPUAA 2001)
- The Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. It designates certain businesses as "reporting institutions" that must perform customer due diligence, keep records, appoint a compliance officer and submit suspicious-transaction reports to Bank Negara Malaysia. In our context: we cover it in financial training — start with who counts as a reporting institution.
- OLAP / Pivot Table
- Online Analytical Processing — the technique of summarising and slicing data across multiple dimensions. In Excel this is most visible as the PivotTable, which lets you reshape rows, columns and totals interactively. In our context: it is a staple of Carriera Academy's Excel and data-analysis training.
- Form PK
- The notification form an employer must submit to the Labour Department (JTKSM) when carrying out a retrenchment, generally at least 30 days before the workers are laid off. In our context: filing it correctly is a key step in a lawful retrenchment — see our retrenchment & VSS procedure.
Where can I get a term explained for my own situation?
Definitions only go so far — the useful part is applying them to your hiring plan or your training budget. If you want to know whether a programme is SBL-Khas claimable for your company, or how the Employment Act affects a specific role you're filling, message us directly. We are a small team, so you speak to a consultant, not a call centre. Reach us on WhatsApp or via the contact page.
The questions we field most often from this glossary are:
- Is a given Carriera Academy programme SBL-Khas claimable for my company, and how much levy do I have to spend?
- What does the RM1,700 minimum wage do to my existing pay bands?
- Which statutory deductions — EPF, SOCSO, EIS, PCB/MTD — apply to a specific role I'm hiring for?
- How do contingency and retained recruitment differ for the seniority of role I need to fill?
Still have a term you'd like decoded?
Ask us about any recruitment, tax or HRD-Corp training term — and how it applies to your business. A consultant will reply personally.
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