Another way to work legally in Malaysia as a foreigner is to set up your own company. As this is quite an expensive option, it isn’t popular with expatriates who are not planning to live long-term in Malaysia. A company that is 100% foreign owned must have a paid-up capital of RM250,000 in order to apply for a work permit for an expatriate, even if the expatriate is the owner. If you go into partnership with a Malaysian, the paid-up capital requirement is reduced to RM200,000. The company must be established before a work permit application can be made and the whole process takes several months.