Malaysia. The National ICT Association of Malaysia (Pikom) extends the special RM2,500 tax relief for remote workers. The latter can have a discount on tech equipment such as handphones, computers, tablets, and tech-related items.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Malaysian government promoted several initiatives to encourage remote options. As a result, the national recovery period saw an exponentially increased need for tech devices and courses.
For this reason, the government decided to extend the tax relief for remote workers. As Pikom chairman Danny Lee said: “The tax deductions for up to RM7,000 for upskilling courses would boost this effort and complement the JaminKerja initiatives in creating 600,000 job opportunities.”
In collaboration with HRDCorp and MDEC, Pikom is launching several training programs in Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence. Investments reached RM6billion. In addition, the company is focussing on women with incentives for remote working mothers and women in leadership positions.
The core focus of the tax relief for remote workers includes:
- E-sports incentives.
- Micro-enterprises and SME (MSME) business community.
- Digital economy (Jendela National Digital Network Plan to expand the 5G ecosystem).
Malaysia has always been one of the favorite destinations for digital nomads. Expanding incentives for remote workers, the government aims to digitalize the country and re-start the local economy.
