Retiring in Malaysia

I'm really interested in the comments for this thread as I'm seriously considering MM2H and retiring in MY and keen to hear from others who have made the leap to retire in MY.

Turok - I'm retired in Malaysia but was previously working here. Do you have any specific questions? If so, I will try to answer them.

Hi Gravitas. I'm an Australian and living here under a RP but now working as a freelance and open to work opportunities. I'm worried about rising costs in AU as haven't lived in AU for 10 years now if which 6 years have been living in KL.

Property and cost of living is expensive now and pension ages in increasing to 67 for baby boomers like myself. While I miss, I'm worried about the costs

I'm 62 and qualify for MM2H via the agent I've been kissing with. My choice is to remain on the RO expiring in 2022 (but requirements may increase) or take the plunge into MM2H. Hard decision?

Turok - hard to know if MM2H will still be offered in 2022 and definitely the conditions will be changing (just waiting for rise in liquid assets shortly). The issue about taking the MM2H visa is you would not be able to work. It's a Social Visit Pass only. There is a possibility to work 20 hrs a week but I believe apart from lecturing it's quite difficult to swing a job unless it's with a company one is already associated with
http://mm2h.gov.my/index.php/en/benefit … artime-job

Many thanks for your reply. If the work is freelancing, and the work is given offshore (ie editing and proodreadingh and being paid offshore into A Malaysian bank account, even thigh the work is performed in Malaysia would that be considered as taxable work or impact on MM2H do u think?  How do the tax authorities be it up?

There are quite  few people on MM2H who run offshore businesses. In fact most of the under 50s on MM2H have income from employment or investments offshore. Your issue needs checking with say a MM2H agent. I think you could be on MM2H as a freelancer but would need to declare your income as you are receiving it in Malaysia (and not transferring offshore income to Malaysia).

Thanks will ask my agent as will be a key point to know re: MM2H final decision

Cheers

be careful of mm2h agents, they usually charge a bomb for any services, if i were in your shoes, i would call the mm2h directly, many of their staff are well trained and will be able to advise you accordingly

Thanks will do. Agree I had one quote of RM 7,000

7k... rip off

so many factors to be taken into consideration,,
age...you retiring or working or business in malaysia,, the place you plan to reside in malaysia,,,

I did my own application - It's very easy. RM7k is the usual price quoted.

Hi
I wonder if anyone can advice me on few questions I have before making a final decision.
I have 3 Children between 11 and 4. They are Primary School age. Would like to Move to Malaysia for various reasons in January 2018. I want to send them to a good British standard private School.
My husband and I would like to look for work.  Once we move. However, not very clear about Vsia and work permit.
I am keen to know the process, we would like to stay in KL, we have a monthly disposable income for £2000 from rentals. Is this sufficient for education for 3 Children and living costs in OK at least until we land on our feet with a Job. My husband's work background in UK is Estate Agent Manager, in KL he will be applying for Managerial post.
I have a business marketing degree and have experience working in hospital and community settings as an health care advocate.
We are really confused as to what are the chances of finding a job with our qualifications and experience. What visa do we need to apply for in order to have the permission to work there and if our current monthly income will be sufficient to help us to make a start.
Advice will be much appreciated.

Syeda B - You would need to do things in a different order. First find employment. Then the employer applies for the visa plus dependent passes.

The other option is the Malaysia My Second Home programme but it does not enable you to work. http://mm2h.gov.my/index.php/en/home/pr … conditions

You can check on the cost of schooling here: http://schooladvisor.my/

Realistically with 3 school-going children plus living expenses your current income would not be sufficient.

Many thanks for the sound advice. I will take it into account and act accordingly.

Syeda Bee

You have got the order all wrong.

First you need to get the job in Malaysia, only then your family can come over as dependants.

Regards
Sajni

Gravitas has given you a very complete reply, do check out the links.

Ah..thank you for your kind advice. I will start looking for jobs there before packing my bags.

Thank you

You can get the guardians visa.

"Why did you choose to retire in Malaysia? What are the advantages compared with your home country?"

I'm American. I'm from Sacramento (watch the movie "Ladybird" for an idea). I live in Sarawak. I came because it's ethnically diverse (Malay, Iban, Chinese, and Bidayuh about evenly split), and Sarawak is one of the most harmonious and least acrimonious States in Malaysia. I am a former professor and have found lots of projects that contribute to the people here, even as a volunteer, far more than in the US (scanning and transcribing the old Sarawak Gazettes, working on the Sarawak Museum Collections, etc.)

Kuching is somewhat like Sacramento, a river city next to a delta, slower paced than other urban centers...a bit more sprawling and low-profile, and even the historical architecture has glimmerings since they were founded within a  decade of one another, both have Chinatowns (though Kuching's is much bigger), founded on mineral discoveries (gold vs. antimony). There are obviously differences though.

"What were your main considerations when deciding to move? For example, taxes, ease of transferring your pension, etc.. "

Well the cost of the MM2H program mainly. It kept going up, and there were rumors it would go up again. I actually misread the requirements for the Sarawak version of the program and miscalculated my own pension a bit so I worked for a year more than I really needed to. I can't escape US taxes by moving abroad, though I don't have to pay California taxes any more. That said I'm one of these oddities that is fine with paying a fair share of taxes to ay back and support others in need. There are certainly some aspects of US foreign policy I find abominable, though. My pension is deposited in the US and I access it by ATM card, or money transfer into my account here. Transferwise.

"Are there any specific formalities you had to go through as a retiree moving to Malaysia (for example, is there a particular retirement visa)? " Sarawak My Second Home, which is different than MM2H. I've posted elsewhere about the differences between them. And the benefits of the SM2H vs. MM2H. Finding a local Sarawak native to sponsor one is the biggest formality besides meeting the income requirement (proof of regular income stream of RM10,000 over three months). For Sarawak I did NOT have to show liquid assets, I did not have to provide a police report, I did not have to also provide a fixed deposit. It's a great program if you are over 50 and don't intend to work IN MALAYSIA. There are some exceptions to that age "floor", but it's mainly a retirement program.

"What is Malaysia's healthcare like? Have you had any good or bad experiences dealing with healthcare professionals? " I haven't had any major health emergencies, but my minor fevers and injuries have been treated within a few minutes of my entry into a clinic. There are scores of these in Kuching alone., along with 5 major hospitals, One is a dedicated cardiac clinic, another is an advanced oncology treatment center, another specializes in robot-assisted microsurgery. I had a friend get a full knee replacement for US$3000, all-in...including physical therapy. I'm on a rather nice insurance program (Global-Blue of BC/BS) that will cover 90% of such surgeries or other health care.  So I'm not complaining. Anything that Kuching can't cover and I can go to the more expensive KL or Singapore.

"Do you have any tips for other retirees in Malaysia?" Consider Sarawak...My visa took 2 months including X'mas and NY interruptions from submission to chopping into my passport. Total cost of all documentation (RM20), Visa Fees(RM986), notary seals (RM20), visits by Uber to Immigration/Tourism(RM30), Health Check Up  (RM170...because of a botched check-up that wasn't legit acc. to Immigration) = RM1226.  About US$320 for a 5-Year Multi-Entry Visa.  RM500 of that was a Journey Performed Visa which I'm sill trying to figure out how I could have avoided that fee since you MUST apply and obtain the visa in person IN Sarawak.

Hi Cinnamonape,

Could you please explain what is "Journey Performed" visa?

Thanks.

I'm not sure I understand what it is except a way to separate certain applicants from their money. But I'll give it a shot.

Applicants for certain types of visas require the correct "preceding visa". Otherwise the need to return to a Malaysian Embassy to get the correct visa.

So if you come in on a tourist pass you cannot "upgrade" that to an MM2H, Student Visa, Work visa or Special Skills Visa. Technically you must leave the country and get the correct Social Visa with Reference (i.e. someone approved your coming). So for workers they need to have a reference with an employer and the proper paperwork submitted to an outside embassy, for students the school acts as the reference, and for MM2H the MM2H program acts as the reference and submits the package to the Immigration Dept. THEY issue the Conditional Letter of Acceptance.

So under MM2H the applicant for the Short Term Visa needs the MM2H Conditional Acceptance Letter. It seems to me that one can only easily get this done if in Malaysia OR if one has an agent. It essentially means that self-applicants either have to return their home country once they have the letter (or somehow have it sent to them) in order to get the proper visa.

Agents usually do this for most people, making sure the proper documentation is submitted and sending on the Conditional Letter of Acceptance to be submitted at the Embassy of Consulate for the Visas.

The requirement is waived however for most Commonwealth Countries. So Self-Application is easier for them.

Now here's where the Journey-Performed Visa comes in. Immigration can just "make it up" that you left, got the proper visa, and issue it in Malaysia. Thus you can pay a fee for the imaginary "Journey Performed". I paid RM506 for a visa that would have cost me RM6 in the US.

Even worse is in Sarawak they require that you apply for the MM2H in person, no agents allowed. Except for the Commonwealther's there is no way to avoid the FEE except to actually leave the country and apply for the Visa outside. I was told that one must do this in the country that issued the passport. So you pay the fee, or fly home and then return.

A JP is a type of retroactive visa because as Cinnamonape wrote - a direct transfer from a tourist visa is not permitted.  It could be seen as an alternative to getting a VDR prior to entry.

Hi Cinnamonape, thank you for the detailed explanations and I agree with you that it doesn't seem to serve any purpose other than to part some fund from the applicant  .

Lucky for me cause I still have family in Kuching and travel there frequently.

Thanks again.