Most Malaysians in Singapore and Brunei are part of the skilled or semi-skilled workforce, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia.

Chief Statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said 39 percent of the diaspora working in Singapore are skilled workers and 35 percent are semi-skilled workers, while in Brunei, 68 percent of the working diaspora are skilled workers and 24.1 percent are semi-skilled workers.