Kanata,
While you are still unemployed, go and get your CAA ATPL. CPL is not much use here, and FAA licences are not regconised. You need CAA licence.
Better to do ATPL in Malaysia. Until you get your ATPL(frozen), don't bother with MAS yet. Your chance will be extremely slim until you get your frozen ATPL.
In the past, MAS has prejudiced against GA and self-sponsored pilots. You would stand a better chance if you would just throw away your FAA licence and apply for ab-initio cadet pilot, provided your academics subjects have been good, Local SPM/STPM preferred (a good credit in the National Language is important). MAS prefers to select their own cadets, sends them to flying schools and pays for their expensive training, rather than recruit from a pool of local pilots.
SQ is in similar situation. BTW, if you didn't get a good score in the Bahasa Malaysia in SPM or STPM, then try SQ. My BM score was not good, but they were more lenient in the old days.
[ 07 August 2001: Message edited by: Old Dog ]