Is the occupation strategic? 
Strategic means that an occupation is central to Malaysia’s economic development objectives. A strategic occupation is one that is closely linked to Malaysia’s economic growth and the development of its knowledge-based economy. As a result of the strategic criteria, government programs can use the COL to set priorities and allocate resources. This criterion is more flexible than the skilled and sought-after criteria and draws on evidence from both the top-down and bottom-up approaches. It is designed to ensure that the COL meets the needs of policymakers and Malaysia as a whole. Because the COL is designed to be used by a broad range of agencies and programmes, the strategic criteria is not intended to exclude a large number of occupations for which the skilled and sought-after criteria are strong. Rather, the aim is to ensure that the COL is able to address emerging economic and social needs when the skilled and sought-after tests are passed.