It’s Bonus Season Now And Here’s How To Ask For A 15% Raise After Your First Year At Work. | WeirdKaya

Not financial advice. These are estimates based on publicly available 2025 and 2026 data, and real fares swing hard with season and booking timing. If a trip would mean taking on card debt, AKPK offers free credit counselling at 1800-88-2575.

I spent my entire first year waiting for someone to notice I deserved more money. Nobody did.

Turns out that is not how it works here, and the people getting raises are not better at their jobs than you. They are just better at asking.

First, know what normal looks like

You cannot negotiate a number you have not benchmarked. The Malaysian Employers Federation found executives received an average increment of 5.03% in 2025, with non-executives at 4.65%.

For 2026, MEF projects 5.33% for executives and 5.01% for non-executives. Aon’s survey puts the budgeted average salary increase for Malaysia in 2026 at 4.8%.

So anything around 5% is the default. It is what you get for showing up and not causing problems. Asking gets you above that line.

What you do

Typical increase

On RM3,000

Say nothing, take the standard increment

About 5%

+RM160 a month

Ask, with a case prepared

8% to 15%

+RM240 to RM450 a month

Switch companies

16% to 25%

+RM480 to RM750 a month

The uncomfortable truth

74% of Malaysian employees expect at least a 16% pay bump when changing jobs, and many expect 20% to 25%. Meanwhile 86% of employers cap annual increments at 10% or less. On RM3,000 that gap is about RM5,281 a year. Your raise conversation is really a conversation about whether staying is worth it.

Before you open your mouth…

Build a one-page brag sheet

Five to seven things you delivered this year, each with a number attached. Not “helped with social media” but “grew the account from 8k to 23k followers.”

List what you do now that was not in your JD

Scope creep is your strongest argument. If your job grew and your pay did not, that is the entire case in one sentence.

Get a market number

Check salary guides and job ads for your exact role and years of experience. You need one defensible figure, not a feeling.

Time it 6 to 8 weeks before budget season

Once the increment pool is locked, your manager genuinely cannot help you. Ask while the number is still being decided, not after.

The script, word for word

Step 1: The request for a meeting

“Hi [name], could I get 20 minutes with you sometime this week or next? I would like to talk about my scope and compensation now that I am past the one-year mark. Happy to work around your schedule.”

Never ambush your manager in a corridor or spring it at the end of a stand-up. Naming the topic upfront also means they can check the budget before you meet, which works in your favour.

Step 2: The opening

“Thanks for making time. I have really enjoyed this first year and I want to keep growing here. I wanted to walk you through what I have taken on, and then talk about adjusting my package to match.”

Step 3: The evidence

“When I joined, my scope was [A and B]. Since then I have also taken on [C and D]. The results: [number], [number], [number]. I also now handle [thing that was not in the job description], which was not part of the original role.”

Step 4: The ask, with an actual number

“Based on what the market pays for this scope, I am looking for RM[X]. I know the standard increment is around 5%, and I am asking for more than that because the role I am doing now is bigger than the one I was hired into.”

Say the number, then shut up

This is the hardest part and the part that decides everything. After you state your figure, stop talking. The silence will feel unbearable for about four seconds. Do not fill it by negotiating against yourself with “but I understand if that is not possible.”

Step 5: When they say no or “not now”

“I understand. Can we agree on what would need to be true for this to happen, and put a date on reviewing it? If we can write down the targets and revisit in three months, I am happy with that.”

This turns a no into a deadline. Follow up by email the same day summarising what was agreed, politely. Verbal promises evaporate when budget season arrives or your manager leaves.

What NOT to say

“Everything is so expensive now”

Your rent is not your employer’s business case. Pay tracks the value of the role, not your personal costs. Keep it about scope and market rate.

“But [colleague] earns more than me”

This makes the conversation about them, not you, and often gets your colleague in trouble instead of getting you paid.

A resignation threat you cannot back up

Only mention another offer if you actually hold one and would genuinely take it. Bluffing works until it does not, and then you have no leverage left.

“Anything you can do would be great”

A vague ask gets a vague answer, which is usually the standard 5%. Name the figure.

If the answer is still no in three months

Then you have your answer, and it is useful information rather than a failure. 93% of Malaysian professionals say they are exploring or open to better opportunities in 2026, and 44% of employers plan to expand headcount, concentrated in technology, healthcare, engineering and financial services.

One caution on counteroffers, which 45% of Malaysians say they would consider: a counteroffer solves this month’s problem and rarely fixes the reason you went looking. If you take one, get the new figure and any promotion in writing.

Malaysian increments averaged about 5% in 2025 and are forecast at roughly the same for 2026. Employers cap most increments at 10% or less, while 74% of employees expect 16% or more when switching jobs.

Ask 6 to 8 weeks before budget season, bring a one-page record with figures, state one number, and get written targets and a review date if refused.

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