Which Malaysian employers must register with HRD Corp?

Under the PSMB Act 2001, an employer with 10 or more Malaysian employees must register with HRD Corp and pay a monthly levy of 1% of each employee's monthly wages. An employer with 5 to 9 Malaysian employees may register by choice, and if they do, the levy is 0.5%. The levy accumulates as a training balance the company can draw on.

How much of a course fee is claimable under HRD Corp?

Up to 100% of the fee may be claimable. The actual amount depends on the employer's available levy balance, HRD Corp approval and the course category, so it is not guaranteed in advance. Beyond the course fee, eligible costs can include meals, daily allowance, training materials, accommodation and transportation. The programme must run for a minimum of four hours.

How many days before training must an HRD Corp grant application be submitted?

For in-house training the application must be submitted at least 14 days before the training start date, effective 15 June 2026. For public training the window is 3 days from 15 June 2026 to 31 December 2026, and it reverts to 14 days from 1 January 2027. In every case the application must be submitted before training begins.

How long after approval must the training start, and when is the claim due?

An approved programme must commence within 90 calendar days of the approval being completed. After the programme ends, the training claim must be filed within six months of the completion date. Missing either window forfeits the claim even though the grant was approved.

What documents are needed to apply for an HRD Corp claimable course?

The grant application requires a quotation or invoice, the training schedule or course content, and the trainer profile. At the claim stage, supporting documents such as receipts and invoices are required for transportation costs, and an itinerary is required where airfare is involved.

Does digital marketing training qualify as an HRD Corp claimable course?

Yes. Digital marketing is a recognised skills area, and a programme qualifies when it is delivered by a registered training provider, runs at least four hours, and is approved through e-TRiS before it starts. Disoft has delivered over 300 hands-on team training sessions in Malaysia and its marketing programmes are HRD Corp claimable, subject to approval and the employer's levy balance.

HRDC · Aug 22, 2026

HRDC Claimable Training in Malaysia: Eligibility, e-TRiS and Deadlines

Most Malaysian employers are already paying into a training fund they never draw on. This guide covers who has to register, how much is claimable, how the e-TRiS application works, the submission windows that decide whether you get paid, and the reasons claims fail.

Who has to register, and what the levy costs

HRD Corp operates under the Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Act 2001. Registration is not a choice for most employers of any size, and the threshold is headcount rather than revenue or industry.

10 or more Malaysian employees: registration is mandatory, and the levy is 1% of each employee's monthly wages, paid monthly.
5 to 9 Malaysian employees: registration is optional. Employers who choose to register pay 0.5%.

The levy is not a tax that disappears. It accumulates as a training balance held against your company, and that balance is what claimable training draws from. A company that has contributed for years without claiming is sitting on money it has already spent.

How much is actually claimable

Up to 100% of the course fee may be claimable*. The word that matters is "may". The amount you actually receive depends on three things: your available levy balance, HRD Corp approval of that specific programme, and the course category it falls under. Nobody can promise you a full claim before the application is approved, and any provider who does is telling you something they cannot know.

The claim is not limited to the course fee alone. Depending on the scheme, eligible costs can also include meals, daily allowance, training materials, accommodation and transportation. The programme must run for a minimum of four hours to qualify.

How the e-TRiS application works

Everything happens through e-TRiS, HRD Corp's online system. The employer applies, not the training provider, though a good provider will prepare the documents you need to upload.

What you submit before training

Quotation or invoice from the training provider
Training schedule or course content
Trainer profile

What you submit after training

Receipts and invoices where transportation costs are claimed
An itinerary where airfare is involved

The deadlines that decide whether you get paid

This is where most claims are lost, and it is entirely avoidable. There are four separate clocks, and missing any one of them ends the claim regardless of how good the training was.

In-house training: the application must be submitted at least 14 days before the training start date, effective 15 June 2026.
Public training: the window is 3 days from 15 June 2026 to 31 December 2026, and reverts to 14 days from 1 January 2027.
After approval: the programme must commence within 90 calendar days of approval being completed.
After training: the claim must be filed within six months of the programme completion date.

Worth planning around: the 3-day window for public training is temporary. From 1 January 2027 it returns to 14 days. If your training calendar for early 2027 is being drafted now, build the longer lead time in rather than discovering it in January.

In every case the application must be submitted before the training starts. There is no retrospective approval. Training that has already run cannot be claimed, however eligible it would otherwise have been.

Why claims get rejected

Most rejections are procedural rather than substantive. The training was fine; the paperwork was not.

Submitting after the training has already started, which cannot be fixed afterwards
Incomplete documentation, most often a missing trainer profile or course content
Using a training provider that is not registered with HRD Corp
A programme that runs under the four-hour minimum
Letting the 90-day start window lapse after approval, so an approved grant expires unused
Filing the claim more than six months after completion
An insufficient levy balance to cover the amount claimed

Does digital marketing training qualify?

Yes. Digital marketing is a recognised skills area, and the qualifying conditions are the same as for any other subject: the provider must be registered with HRD Corp, the programme must run at least four hours, and it must be approved through e-TRiS before it begins.

Disoft has delivered over 300 hands-on team training sessions for Malaysian and Southeast Asian businesses. Our programmes cover the three metrics that decide whether marketing is working, the full A.R.M. Growth System, and optional one-on-one coaching. They are HRD Corp claimable, subject to approval and your levy balance.

See the curriculum on our Marketing Training page, read what the training covers in HRDC-Claimable Digital Marketing Training, or compare options on Packages. If you are not sure where your levy balance stands, ask us and we will help you check before you commit to anything.

*Actual eligibility and amount are subject to HRD Corp approval, your company's levy and applicable terms. Scheme rules and submission windows are set by HRD Corp and can change. Figures in this guide reflect HRD Corp published information as at 22 August 2026; confirm current requirements in e-TRiS before you apply.

Not sure what you can claim?

Book a free growth audit, no cost, no pressure. We will help you check your standing before you commit to anything.

Book a Free Audit →WhatsApp