KUALA LUMPUR, 22 October 2025 —Malaysian professionals are sending a strong message to employers: ambition without purpose no longer inspires, and purpose without progression no longer satisfies.
According to the newly released Reeracoen x Rakuten Insight APAC Workforce Whitepaper 2025, which surveyed more than 12,000 professionals across 12 Asia-Pacific markets, Malaysia’s workforce stands out for its blend of drive and discernment.
Nearly 40% of Malaysian workers aspire to leadership roles, higher than the regional average of 37%, while two in three say a company’s stance on sustainability and social responsibility directly influences their decision to accept a job offer.
At the same time, 28% of Malaysian professionals now expect double-digit salary increases, compared with 21% regionally. Yet this demand is backed by substance: Malaysia is one of the few APAC markets where company-sponsored training participation exceeds self-initiated learning, indicating strong alignment between employer support and employee ambition.
“Malaysian talent is capable, grounded, and ready to grow. Ambition here is strong, but so too is the demand for values, trust, and leadership that empowers,” said Yohei Yagi, Country Manager, Reeracoen Malaysia. “Employers who combine structure with stretch, and strategy with empathy, will unlock the full potential of Malaysia’s workforce.”
The Talent Paradox Employers Must Solve
Malaysia continues to position itself as a regional hub for digital innovation, advanced manufacturing, and green growth through national initiatives such as MyDIGITAL, Industry4WRD, and the Twelfth Malaysia Plan. Yet, while policy momentum remains high, a gap persists between national ambition and workplace execution.
Although 71% of Malaysian professionals value flexible work arrangements, many industries still struggle to implement them consistently. Meanwhile, 58% of workers identify empathetic and empowering leadership as critical to job satisfaction, but traditional top-down management remains the norm across much of the corporate landscape.
Five Forces Reshaping Malaysia’s Talent Landscape
- Leadership Hunger – 39% of professionals aspire to leadership roles, signalling readiness to step up if developmental pathways are in place.
- Values as Non-Negotiables – 67% of workers consider sustainability and corporate responsibility essential in choosing employers.
- Empathy as Strategy – 58% say empathetic leadership is key to job satisfaction, making culture as decisive as compensation.
- The Flexibility Gap – Hybrid work is valued by 71%, but inconsistent implementation across sectors risks frustration and attrition.
- Proactive Upskilling – Malaysian employees engage more actively with company-sponsored training, offering firms a unique advantage if properly leveraged.
“Flexibility, purpose, and learning are no longer perks, they are expectations,” said Kenji Naito, Group CEO of Reeracoen Group. “Companies that realign their talent strategies around these values will lead the next wave of regional growth.”
Collin Leow, Country Director for Malaysia & Thailand at Rakuten Insight, added, “The future of employment will be defined by how well we align ambition with adaptability. Workers now seek growth with meaning. They want mobility, mastery, and purpose. The organisations that reflect these values will attract and retain the best talent.”
As technology and sustainability reshape economies, the employers that invest in empathetic leadership, equitable flexibility, and purposeful upskilling will gain a decisive edge. Incremental improvements are no longer enough, Malaysian professionals are asking for transformation, not token gestures.
For companies, the challenge is clear: treat empathy as a business competency, develop leaders from within, and make ESG and hybrid work more than policies, make them proof points.
