Software engineers are often highly involved with the tech industry and gadgets, and that’s somewhere that Malaysia has a lot to offer.

This article was written by ExpatGo contributor Jennifer Dawson.

Not unlike highly advanced countries, Malaysia is experiencing a serious skills gap. According to The Malaysian Reserve, businesses across the country are struggling to meet the demands of the modern labor market, and are unwilling to drop experience requirements to allow locally educated students access into the market as graduates.

Commensurate with this, as has long been the case with Malaysia, eyes are turned to the international community to provide expertise. As a result, Malaysia has a lot to offer engineers inside the digital community, and that’s starting in the burgeoning service sector, if the visa requirements can be met.

SAAS DEVELOPMENT

Malaysia has taken on a role as a serious disruptor to western tech businesses. According to Tech In Asia, the latest such company to take a starring role is 123RF, who have started to develop their own line of software as a service (SaaS) model digital illustration and manipulation tools that promise to take the fight to Adobe and have, to date, banked US$16.7 million in startup investment.

However, as always, there is a significant gap in skills behind these startups. High skilled SaaS development is a relatively new phenomenon that is behind much of the revenue behind today’s tech giants – Amazon’s AWS is a SaaS, as is Microsoft and its OneDrive. Expat engineers working in these fields will find plenty of work in Malaysia.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Software engineers are often highly involved with the tech industry and gadgets, and that’s where that Malaysia has a lot to offer. Fixed broadband and internet speeds are improving rapidly in Kuala Lumpur, and there’s a lot of high-tech stuff to be toyed around with – never mind the city’s regional proximity to other tech hubs like Hong Kong, Australia, and Japan.

Furthermore, for those inclined to enjoy pastimes like video games, many major international retailers are pouring money into improved servers and connectivity in Malaysia and nearby countries. Alongside the classic quality of life experienced in Malaysia, with excellent health care, local cuisine, and general urban wellbeing, there’s cause to be excited for a potential move.

PAY APPRECIATION

A factor driving expats away from Malaysia and other countries in Southeast Asia has been pay. Despite the relatively high cost of living in Malaysia’s cities, it has not been uncommon, according to Adam Fayed, to see lead architects paid under US$30,000 – not even close to the levels that could be expected working in America or any country in Europe for the same skills. However, wages are now starting to grow, and that’s cause for celebration for expat engineers. Along with the quality of life and benefits offered by the authorities in their attempts to close the skills gap, pay is now increasing to more equitable levels.

For software engineers, Malaysia offers serious benefits. It’s a society deeply in need of new talent in that regard, and you can be sure to find work. The quality of life speaks for itself, and with pay on the increase, it’s no longer a drop in earnings to move.