Tipping in Malaysia: Guide to Give Your Gratuity to Local Workers!

Global Team
08 Jun 2024 - 4 min read
Tipping in Malaysia Desktop

Tipping in Malaysia exists due to the influence of Western culture. Tips are often charged to the hotel room or meal bill. If you eat at a hotel restaurant, there is an additional charge of 10%. However, there’s no exact amount to give some tips. So you really need to estimate how much of a tip is appropriate to them.

Usually, the tip given to porters at 5-star hotels ranges from 1-2 ringgit. Meanwhile, in lower-class hotels, tips are usually not asked.

In Malaysia, leaving a tip is not common and is also not required. Malaysian workers do not anticipate a tip because most restaurants add an additional fee to your bill that is meant to pay tips. However, leaving an extra tip or your change will still be appreciated.

In Malaysia, several restaurants may tack on a 5% service tax on your bill, excluding an additional 10% government tax. Locals normally leave their change or round up the amount in the bills, so you can use this as a guideline or add an extra 10–15% if the service is exceptional.

Tipping in Malaysia

Kek Lok Si Temple in Georgetown, Penang island, Malaysia

Kek Lok Si Temple in Georgetown, Penang island, Malaysia

Even though tipping is not common in Malaysia, many places, including high-end restaurants and popular tourist spots, do accept gratuities for their services. On the other hand, nowadays seems like many people have a trend to tip more regularly than they used to.

Despite this tendency, service charges are typically included in the bill at places like hotels and restaurants, so it is not required to leave an additional tip or gratuity. Nevertheless, it's important to note that, even though tipping is not customary in Malaysia, many hospitality sectors would certainly appreciate it if you did.

Also, keep in mind that the Malaysian culture of politeness is valued more highly than gratuities. So, it is very important to treat individuals with respect.

Tipping in Malaysia with Local Currency

Ringgit Malaysia

Ringgit Malaysia

Malaysia’s local currency is the Ringgit Malaysia (RM). Tipping in local money makes sense no matter where you are. It is because the worker doesn’t need to exchange the money you gave. It will also help local businesses and economies grow.

However, tipping in Malaysia is not really a must. Even if you want to give a tip after the excellent service you get, it is still appreciated.

When and Where Do You Give a Tip in Malaysia?

Twin Tower Malaysia

Twin Tower Malaysia

Giving some tips after good service is like a gratitude to the workers. However, there is no exact amount to tip in Malaysia. Because it depends on the place, occasion, situation, and the excellent services you get. Here’s someplace you can tip in Malaysia!

1. Restaurant

Every time you go to a restaurant in Malaysia, you have the option to tip the server a little or round the cost to the next major sum. You may want to go all out and give a larger tip if you are getting excellent services from the workers.

2. Hotel Staff

Tipping at hotels in Malaysia is not really necessary because the majority of hotels will automatically add a 10% government fee and 5% service tax to your bill. But, if you had a great experience there, maybe you can leave between RM2 and RM10 for the housekeepers, room service, and bellhops.

3. Taxi Drivers

It’s acceptable to tip your taxi driver or leave extra change. Because tipping a driver is not really necessary unless you discover one who is trustworthy and cautious, do consider doing so.

In Malaysian taxis, it is common to give a tip of around 10% for a longer journey, especially when the drivers help you with your luggage. But if it's only a short journey, the easiest option is to round up the bill or leave the change to the drivers. Please note that if you're using local taxis, you need to agree with the fare first.

4. Tour Guide

Giving your tour guide a tip in Malaysia is not a bad idea. The general amount is expected around RM20 and RM30 per person if you take a private tour, and 10% if you take a group tour. In Malaysia, it's worthwhile to tip if you take advantage of a free tour. Because these kinds of tours frequently have a "pay what you like" policy. Your guide's only source of income might depend on your tips.

5. Spa & Massage

In Malaysia, you may tip your Masseur around 10-15% of the bills, but certain institutions may impose a price that includes the tip. For example, if you paid 100 Malaysian ringgits for a massage, you may consider tipping 10 ringgits if the service was mediocre, or you could say thank you with a 15% tip if the therapist did a very satisfactory job.

It's crucial to tip using the local currency, Malaysian ringgits, whenever you travel to Malaysia. If you don't, your service providers will be left holding cash that they are unable to use without exchanging it first. So, kindly prepare a small amount in the local currency before you leave to give a tip to hotel porters and drivers.

In Malaysia, there is usually a jar tip, so you're welcome to leave some change in the tip jar if you want to, but generally, it is not expected.

Travel Tips in Malaysia with Traveloka

For those who want to vacation in Malaysia but have minimum budget allocations, make sure you use the Traveloka app to have a fun holiday in the neighboring country.

You can check several airlines that offer various promotions, which you can view in the Traveloka app. We advise you to buy promotional tickets in advance, long before the day you go.

Determine the date when you leave and come home that will not trouble you with your important office schedule, and you can do it with the Traveloka app. You can also check the destination you would like to visit in the One-Super app. So, you can have a general list of itineraries you want to visit. With Traveloka, your traveling journey will be determinedly successful!

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