Upon submission of documents for the spouse visa, the application could take up to one month to be approved, if all the documents are in order. You should submit the documents to open a file in the place of residence of your Malaysian spouse which would be mentioned on his/her Identity Card (IC). The first pass is usually valid for 6 months and you will not be allowed to work. If the subsequent pass is valid for one year, you could get an endorsement to work from immigration.
To obtain the endorsement to work, you must have secured an offer for employment.
Ideally before you get married, you should check with immigration on the rules and regulations. Always collect the latest forms and checklists from the immigration office. Your Malaysian spouse should always accompany you to the Immigration department for the submission of documents. The decision of the Immigration Officer is final.