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Probation Officer

Public Safety & Defence

Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.

Public Safety & DefenceLaw

Picture the job

Where you'd usually workA counselling room

  • Outdoors most days, in all weather
  • Sitting for most of the day
  • Dealing with customers or the public
  • A noisy workplace

An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.

In Malaysia

Malaysia has no separate 'probation officer' profession like the US. The role is done by Social Welfare Department (JKM) officers gazetted as 'pegawai akhlak' under section 10 of the Child Act 2001; they write probation reports (laporan akhlak) for the Court for Children and supervise young offenders. MASCO lists it as 'Pegawai Probation' (2825-03).

How people get into it here
SPM → STPM/matriculation/foundation or diploma → Bachelor's in social work, psychology, sociology or a related field → apply to SPA for Pegawai Pembangunan Masyarakat (JKM); probation duties are assigned by gazettement under the Child Act 2001.

Sources:spa.gov.mydocs.jpa.gov.myeparlimen.kpwkm.gov.myemasco.mohr.gov.my

Pay in Malaysia

Government starting pay

RM2,250 – RM2,470

per month

Official basic pay for the government grade, before allowances. Private-sector pay can differ.

SPA — Pegawai Pembangunan Masyarakat Gred S9 · Aug 2024

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Quick answers

How do you become a Probation Officer in Malaysia?

SPM → STPM/matriculation/foundation or diploma → Bachelor's in social work, psychology, sociology or a related field → apply to SPA for Pegawai Pembangunan Masyarakat (JKM); probation duties are assigned by gazettement under the Child Act 2001.

What should I study to become a Probation Officer?

Related fields of study: Public Safety & Defence and Law. SPM subjects that help most: History (Sejarah), English, Biology and Sports Science.

How much does a Probation Officer earn in Malaysia?

The official pay scale put starting pay at RM2,250 – RM2,470 a month (source: SPA — Pegawai Pembangunan Masyarakat Gred S9, Aug 2024).

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
  2. 2Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
  3. 3Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
  4. 4Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
  5. 5Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
  6. 6Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
  7. 7Develop liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments.
  8. 8Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
  9. 9Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
  10. 10Administer drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of offenders, to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs.
  11. 11Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.
  12. 12Participate in decisions about whether cases should go before courts and which court should hear them.
  13. 13Write reports describing offenders' progress.
  14. 14Develop rehabilitation programs for assigned offenders or inmates, establishing rules of conduct, goals, and objectives.
  15. 15Conduct prehearing and presentencing investigations and testify in court regarding offenders' backgrounds and recommended sentences and sentencing conditions.
  16. 16Arrange for postrelease services, such as employment, housing, counseling, education, and social activities.
  17. 17Recommend appropriate penitentiary for initial placement of an offender.
  18. 18Assess the suitability of penitentiary inmates for release under parole and statutory release programs and submit recommendations to parole boards.
  19. 19Identify and approve work placements for offenders with community service sentences.
  20. 20Provide offenders or inmates with assistance in matters concerning detainers, sentences in other jurisdictions, writs, and applications for social assistance.
  21. 21Develop and prepare packets containing information about social service agencies, assistance organizations, and programs that might be useful for inmates or offenders.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • PO
  • DPO
  • OES
  • OWDS
  • Court Worker
  • Parole Agent
  • People Officer
  • Truant Officer
  • Probation Agent
  • Detention Worker

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

History (Sejarah)Draws directly on Law and Government — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BiologyDraws directly on Therapy and Counseling — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Sports ScienceDraws directly on Therapy and Counseling — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administrative — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Law and Government88%

    History (Sejarah)

  • Public Safety and Security87%
  • English Language82%

    English

  • Psychology82%
  • Therapy and Counseling79%

    BiologySports Science

  • Sociology and Anthropology72%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsEvery day
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherOften
  • Noisy environmentEvery day

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

29%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

What beginner adverts asked for

We read 15 internship and fresh-graduate adverts in related fields (August 2026). A small sample from one job site, not every vacancy.

10 of 15 were internships

Allowance or pay, when stated

RM1,500 – RM2,500

5 of 15 adverts printed an amount: usually between RM1,500 and RM2,500 a month. Many print none.

Professional bodies named

Bar

Languages named

Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin

An empty line means the adverts did not say, not that employers have no requirement. Check each employer's own advert before you plan around it.

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

Source: SPA — Pegawai Pembangunan Masyarakat Gred S9 · as of Aug 2024

Check the salary figures yourself:SPA — Pegawai Pembangunan Masyarakat Gred S9

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org