UPDATE AUGUST 11, 2021: The new MM2H requirements have been announced. More information in this link: www.theedgemarkets.com/article/malaysia-my-second-home-mm2h-programme-reactivated-new-applications-be-processed-october-%E2%80%94
@@snailtravelers My guess is that almost no one that wants to retire to Malaysia meets those criteria. For $10K/month you could live in London, Tokyo, Singapore, NYC, etc.
@@youtubewatcher5805 agree those who create the new rule do not understand that in order to earn Net after tax of USD 10k are in upper management or Directors or few humble hard working employee whom would not afford 90 days holiday to come have a piss in kl 🤣
@El Che for that amount of cash being locked up at bank , you could live in few European country or even citizenship. we must be well prepared this round that this mmfh only 5 years. after 5 years their new knife would chop us again whichever political party win the musical chair of the PM
@@lot5953 Can i attempt to answer on Raymond Mountford's behalf? 1. Airconditioned area. 2. Cool n dry airconditioned area. 3. Cool, dry, sunshaded, breezy, n without mosquitoes area. 4. Indoor when it is hot humid n rainy. 5. Pray to God you are still alive and things wont get any worse. 6. Positive thinking n attitude in front of everybody. Be honest with yourself whenever you are gonna be negative abt anything n by yourself n a few trusted people. 7. Do the Vinny Vanilli; Blame it On the Rain.
@@Mister_Ri_MFBMT I agree. Thanks to God that's I'm still alive. Much better situations than people Palestine. Hope they will find good fortunates after being abused by high power neighbor. Thanks for giving me positive views in life
I feel Malaysia is a hidden gem, situated in between & often overshadowed by Singapore as a financial hub & Thailand. The food is just fantastic & cheap, with good people all around
i have a 75 years old friend from Yorkshire UK and he has been living in KL, Malaysia for the past 20 years. His only wish is to die in Kota Kinabalu Sabah which he described as a heaven on earth.
Although I am not about to settle any time soon I could definitely imagine retiring in Malaysia. It was my favorite country even before having stayed there for a year.
Lemongrass, miss your very interesting videos, especially the ones in Malaysia, hope you will be back, do stay safe, healthy & take good care of your family too. Excellent
WOW, this is AMAZING facts and info-graphic, but lovely. I really admire how comprehensive your work on this videos, THUMBS UP !!!! i learn things here too.. thank you so much. but the -ve points would probably a lot of work around to get it right..
@Eddie VVP visitors usually doesnt need to know about politician bcoz every country has similar isue. either known or unknown to us. we live and having good life becoz of good politics as well. the most important was country policies that made the visitor feel so good... if visitors are grateful by having good food. good environment and good hospitalitis, it is bcoz of good governance too. so everybody play a part in this lovely country. u heard riot in indonesia? riot in thailand? bribes in india.. racial abuse in US? yes... so if everybody being grateful and together we keep this world peace and beautiful. take care our rubbish. drive carefully and be civillised on the road. respect other people and mean no harm to anyone else so far most our lovely visitor able to stay almost a year or over with safety and good hospitality bcoz of everybody doing their part.. if we want to be good. it is only us ourself can do it.. nobody can stop us even government.. we love to complaint about our parents, our government.. everybody else. lets just focus we ourself do better for everyone else.. free will. no reason. it is just bcoz we are good people.. we love every races in malaysia and we hate bad people by any color.. and more importantly, country policies made by politicians are one biggest factor helping more visitor to visit malaysia with ease..
I travelled to Malaysia many times and never got disappointed...as you said the people are very friendly and helpful, and the food is just amazing. I could spend my retired time in KL...
Glad I found this video. I am a Filipino professional working here in Malaysia for almost two years now and we have the same opinions and liking about how it feels like living in Malaysia. I love the people, friendly and can speak enough language to communicate. Although I have encountered people who can't speak english as I can't speak Bahasa, its not a problem at all. I may not eat some of their local foods but it's not a problem cause I can cook my own Filipino food. The life here is affordable if we are just to talk about our daily needs. Groceries and apparel are reasonably affordable. I don't see any reasons not to live here forever but I know for a fact that I am only carrying my work visa which would expire in a certain period of time. Thank you Malaysia for being so diverse.
I haven't been to the Philippines, but I suspect it suffers from the same awful heat and humidity. The actual temperature isn't all that high. But the humidity make you feel like you're living in an oven. On the plus side, it is merely uncomfortable and never dangerous. Our bodies are designed for this climate. Nobody ever died of cold or heat, even if they are caught outside without shelter a whole day and night. 😊
Great video. I am planning to retire in Malaysia so this video was very helpful. All your positive ones are what I expected in Malaysia but I'll say the hot weather is a positive one for me because I hate the cold especially living in gloomy UK where in winter we only see 6 hours of daylight hours and that is depressing. Another advantage for me personally is because I'm a Muslim from England and have many Malaysian friends. I have been to Malaysia 5 times and just simply love the country and its amazing people and culture
We’ve been here for 8 years, 6 in KL and the last 2 in Penang. This after 4 years in China and many years in Singapore. Maybe we’ll never leave. My daughters (10 and 11) consider Malaysia home as it’s all they remember.
@@mrsupermannow good for them, it's not harmony to have too many unhappy souls though, regardless where you are -- life is damn too short to be where you can't stop complaining
Thank you for your review. I think its ironic that a foreigner have to make a video to remind Malaysian that we live in such a beautiful country. Most average Malaysian would probably agree that this country is such a mess, only because politics are thrown into the equation. Remove the politics part, we would all enjoy malaysia in a whole new perspective. I wish you guys to have a great retirement journey ahead, and make more awesome videos to remind us, this is an awesome country 👍🏻
Hey if you don’t mind me asking, what’s wrong with the politics in Malaysia? Seems like a stable country to me and I’m planning on moving there in the near future so any insight is appreciated. Thanks!
@Eden Err I’m a Singaporean and Malaysia can’t be compared with Indonesia. Malaysia is much more developed in human rights, women’s rights and secular rights. In Indonesia it’s not uncommon that minorities get charged for ridiculous things like “blasphemy”. In Malaysia, the minorities are left alone and not expected to adhere to Muslim laws or sensitivities. I notice each ethnic group in Malaysia live quite independently from the rest. It’s normal for Malaysian women, native malays or Chinese Malaysian to be educated to the same degree as the boys in the family, only thing that would determine such decisions is how rich the family is.
@Eden Yeah that’s where I disagreed with you. There is a discernible difference in both radicalism and living standards between the two. I think in Southeast Asia, after Singapore then it’s Malaysia, Thailand is right behind Malaysia, then behind Thailand are Indonesia and Philippines on the same tier. Then Vietnam and the rest of Indo China. Vietnam obviously better than Laos and Cambodia but not much. Malaysia is actually really similar in appearance and the way you’d live, to Singapore, just cheaper, bigger and depending on where in Malaysia, feels like a few years behind Singapore but very similar. Social or political backwardness are traits that you find in most third world countries but not always. There are also many socially backwards countries which are very wealthy like the oil rich Arab countries like Dubai. Also Singapore is politically backwards and not politically free as well. Latin America has more crime and corruption issues but are quite advanced in women’s equality.
I’m a Malaysian from Penang living in the UK for more than 20 years. Very proud of Malaysia. One day will retire in Penang. You mentioned about location is negative to fly back to USA but bear in mind for the same factor it’s very close to other holiday destinations like Bali, Siem Reap, Krabi, Singapore and many more beautiful places. And it’s very affordable with Air Asia flights. My dream location to retire is in Batu Feringghi, Penang where it is quieter, calmer and a bit cooler close to the beach and jungles. Good luck with your searches.
Visiting his beloved is one of his priorities, so yeah, a return trip in every 6 months or even yearly can be very tiring, especially for an elderly person
True one might opt to live in Latin America as it is a few hours closer. But really Malaysia is about the same distance as other affordable Asian destinations like Thailand. Philippines about 1.5 hours less. Travel time from Chiang Mai or Phuket to US about the same as from Sarawak.
Just saw your video on your pro's and con's on living in Malaysia. I'm from Seattle Washington and moved to Malaysia in 1995 and been here since. I am currently on a MM2H program. Its fantastic and I will never be returning to Seattle. As to language yes most Malaysians speak English but its your responsibility to also speak their language . I now speak Malay , cantonese etc. The MM2H program will not start up any time soon as there were to many applications so therefore if and when they bring it back the requirements will be a lot higher as far as financial requirements. If you have any questions let me know I'm going on almost 3 decades here.
Thanks for your comment and great information John. We did learn a few basic phrases in Malay, but I have to admit that we got kind of lazy about learning the language since it was so easy just to speak English. That's no excuse, I know, and we will consider enrolling in a language class if we do get MM2H. I fear you might be right about the MM2H having higher financial requirements whenever it restarts. We were struggling to meet the old requirements, so I fear it might be too high for us. We did look at Sarawak's requirements and I think we could go that route once I turn 50. I'm going to bookmark your comment so that I can easily find it and let you know if we have any questions for you in the future. After nearly 30 years in Malaysia I'm sure you certainly would have great insight into living in Malaysia.
@@snailtravelers Dear Snail Travelers thanks for your reply. Yes your most welcome to contact me at anytime. After 30 years of living here I know just about everyone in town. Last week I just got my vaccine so I'm happy about that. I have tried to inform folks on the MM2H program but to no avail most don't believe me that it will be along time before it comes back and mostly due to politics. "Malaysia Boleh lah" and when it does it will be quite a lot. As for me I had to show in cash and not in investments a lot of money and you need to show at least RM20k/month in income. And yes it says RM10K but the reality is a lot more. One other item make sure you have a very very good agent, they will make the difference getting your visa or not. They agent will pre qualify you with out payment so they don't waste their time or yours. We just bout a very nice high rise condo and live very comfortable . Thailand is another destination but that's even more money. If you have any questions just find me on FB. I assume you are still in KL. If you are we can meet up anytime.
@@snailtravelers You may apply directly since language isn't a problem or via any of the licensed/registered MM2H agent listed on the official mm2h.gov.my website. You may also google Expat.com as they have guides for expats who are interested to apply for the MM2H. You should definitely google for Malaysia/MY Expats websites or forums or Facebook groups to read up more about experiences by other expats in Malaysia.
@Photojouralist123 Do you know if it is possible to get CPAP supplies and insulin pump supplies in Malaysia? Also, is it possible to purchase electric stoves there, or are there only gas stoves? Do houses tend to have a lot of mold in them due to the rain and humidity? We are considering possible retirement there from Canada (probably in Tanah Ratah, Cameron Highlands) but I have a lot of health issues, two of which are very bad allergies to mold and to any form of cooking gas (natural gas or propane). Thanks for any insights you can offer.
Im Malaysian and I cannot imagine leaving my country for good. I have loved my childhood, and my food here. And there's still so much to explore in Malaysia, the islands, rainforest, mountains
Something else we noticed after being in Thailand for 2 months now is that imported groceries in Malaysia seemed to be much more affordable and bigger selection at stores like Jaya Grocer and Village Grocer
Agree....prices of imported groceries in Malaysia seems very expensive to purchase for many Malaysians earning normal wages and even for expats but if we convert the prices to exact exchange rates, yes it's still cheaper in Malaysia as compared to Singapore or Thailand ..and likely better prices and choices for those in major cities ..in Thailand likely better to choose local produce ..
Yo hun!!! Where is that Jaya Grocer.. at in Malaysia??? Just don't say penang!!! I kinna not like or interested to visit penang hhhhhh i don't like any islands in this world.
@@Fallen_Angel17 Google search Jaya Grocer and you can find there are few outlets in Klang Valley and JB ..prices of everything in almost all brand of supermarkets varies a little according to their promotions or offers for the week,the day or the month..so at times, certain items may be cheaper ..
@@xchaix Yup. For example, we found Greek feta cheese, olive oil and olives for solid prices that were often the same or even lower than the US. Same cheese is more than double the price here in Thailand, so we don’t bother.
I am from Canada. We have been staying in Penang for almost 2 years now. Despite the pandemic, we like Malaysia. Bit hot but it is still better than cold weather. Good video contents. Real and candid. Keep it up.
I am an American and visited about 30 countries. My chosen country to retire - Malaysia! But I live a month in each malaysian state…. then back to USA (personal reasons). Malaysia is a fascinating country. And yes, very hot.
Americans should have a RECIPROCAL green card, with full civil and property rights -- same as in the USA. There is not reason not to. With every Asian country, individually and bilaterally. Taiwanese have 900,000 green cards. Thais have 300,000 green cards. The mainland Chinese have literally over a million green cards.
Been in Malaysia for almost 10 years now. First 6 years in KL and then Penang. I wholehearted agree that the Malaysian people are the main reason for staying here. They are so friendly and helpful. Then when you take into account the wonderful food, cost of living and excellent medical care available then it's a no-brainer retiring here.
I have been traveling to Malaysia for business multiple times a year for almost the past 10 years, often for around 1-2 months at a time. I can confirm that most of what this video covers is true and I often think to myself that I want to live in Malaysia someday.
Now that you are back in the USA, hopefully vaccinated, where do you want to go next? We are also praying for MM2H to re-open but don't expect much before covid vaccines are widely deployed in Malaysia. Ten years ago we would have never believed that Malaysia would be our dream destination today. The people of Malaysia are some of the best we have met.
We're getting our second vaccine dose in about a week, then we'll have some time with our family. We're not sure where we are going next, we have a few ideas but we're waiting to see if a few more options open up as some countries decide to reopen. We completely agree with your descriptions of Malaysia. Thanks for watching!
The USA gets lots of publicity but it isn't anywhere near as good (living standards wise) as the publicity would have people believe. I would seriously consider living in Malaysia but NEVER in the USA.
We have decent inter state and inter City public transport system but within the city/town isn't as good unless u use grab which is not much for the expats but could be expensive for some of the locals
@@pewpewpew2325 oh, come on. The locals do what the Americans do. Drive everywhere. I'm thinking of making a run to the supermarket for supplies, do you think I'm walking the 2km or taking the bus? 😁 It's only 2km. When I was 20 I would have walked. But that is because I didn't have a car when I was 20. I even drive when going to the Speedmart behind my house a mere 200m away. They're so close, if I shouted loudly from my back door, they could hear me. 😊 Still, 90% of the time, I drive there.
It depends a lot on the city, but I would have to say that some fairly large cities in the U.S. have almost no public transportation, and our passenger rail system is decrepit and underfunded. If you have been to the UK, you will be surprised to learn that I think that trains in the UK are better than those in the U.S., despite some very real problems with the British system, which I experienced on my last trip.
@@ajuktoott tak silap org2 luar yg bersara kat Malaysia kebanyakkan dtg dari negara maju, diorang duduk kat Malaysia memang pakai permit, byar cukai dan berbelanja kat Malaysia, secara tdk langsung mmbantu local bisnes... Diorang bersara kat Malaysia sebab lebih murah cost of living brbanding bersara kat negara sendiri..
@@ajuktoott Jangan pandang satu sudut. Dengan kehadiran mereka (yang sah dan layak), banyak orang lain dapat manfaat. Para peniaga kecil misalnya. Pengusaha rumah tumpangan (homestay dll.), penghantar makanan, pemandu e-hailing dan banyak lagi. Kalau kita penting diri atau pun tak melihat sudut lain, memang nampak negatif belaka. Semua aktiviti ekonomi yang saya sebut tu akan memungkinkan aliran tunai masuk ke dalam negara sekaligus membantu meningkatkan ekonomi pada skala kecil dan besar.
Lived here in Penang 3 years now. The weather is warm but I certainly wouldn't call it hot. It's all relative to where you come from. As someone from Dallas and Houston and spent two years in Shenzhen I find it very pleasant. Lows around 78F and highs around 89F. You forgot to mention unlimited data and calls for less than $10USD per month per phone. In 2017 I was paying AT&T $120 per month for two phones. Health insurance, cheap cheap cheap and yes, agree the medical is great. I think much better than in the USA. I can walk in and see my cardiologist, dermatologist, just about any specialty. Medications are top notch and my cardiologist was horrified by the outdated hypertension meds I was getting from the VA. He said they quit using this in Malaysia almost 10 years ago. Also the new med, Micardis, is available OTC here as are many medicines. As for being a long way from family, that is just a choice makes when deciding to retire overseas. Conversely, I can fly to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore for about $50USD each way per person and these destinations are about 1 hour fight time.
I second the medical comments. I had surgery at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Penang. Also, in Penang, I stayed at Glen Eagles Hospital during a bad bout of Dengue Fever. I have ZERO conplaints about the medical care there. It was excellent! Way better than the U.S. (in my opinion).
Its good to know that most of the positives are due to the collective efforts of the peoole and the negative points are due to factors they have less (direct) control of. This video strengthen my belief that we, Malaysian, are really trying our best to make our 'home' a better place for everyone. 👍🏻
As someone from Malaysia living in US since 80s, I agree with your assessment. Especially on healthcare and school shootings. The heat and humidity unbearable in Malaysia even though lived in NC and Florida.
A while ago, I spoke to one uk couple. Both choose to retire in Malaysia because both has this rheumatism. He told me the hands are painful during the winter time in uk. But since retire in Malaysia, nothing serious happen due to the hot weather. So right now their plan is avoid winter in uk. Most of the time is still in Malaysia
It could be sum up to a malay proverb ... Hujan emas di negeri orang , hujan batu di negeri sendiri , lebih baik negeri sendiri ... some people don't realize that , but at some point they will
that's true in a way , plus the taxes here are fairly cheap compared to others ... in a sense , they are loaded so that's why they like it here ... the power of dollars aye ?
For locals, the issue is because of politicians. We can't stand the incompetence, corruption & the dishonesty. But if you're an expat/foreigner, this wouldn't make a difference because Msian policies always encourage intl business/tourism/retirement.
We live in the US and will retire in Malaysia as well. As for the flights, you may go to Singapore or KLIA and there's United Airlines direct flight to LA or SF or Malaysian Airlines to LA or SF as well.
Air Asia has direct flight to Hawaii before covid..but the seat compartment is slightly smaller because it's a low cost carrier..Qatar airways has direct flight from Penang to Doha to get your next connecting flight to US cities
Good info, thanks! I believe Qatar has suspended the Penang flights, but hopefully they will start up again. A flight straight to Hawaii from KL would be nice, hopefully those flights will also start up again. Thank you!
Signore Tony, the affable owner of the popular Italian restaurant, Fellini (located in Jln.Gasing, Petaling Jaya) once told me this: “if you disregard the politics, Malaysia is the best country in the world to live in!” Incidentally, Tony hails from Rome and has lived in Malaysia for quite a number of years.
Really someone from Italy said that, 🤔 i've heard that italy and some other Europe countries have free healthcare and have more relaxing lifestyle, and some of them even have free education, i would say the country that have free education and free healthcare to be the best country in the world (yes i know their tax is high but its for a good reason right) , plus their nature are soooo beautiful, the european are so lucky to be blessed with such nature 😍😍 not sure about the crime rate though, i don't think Europe countries have high crime rates (i mean if we were to compare to malaysia)
I agree with your comment about "disregarding the politicians and politics" but I will add, avoid radicalized islamists. Unforutnately it is a fast spreading disease, allowing the likes of Zakir Naik, Hadisukawang, Tuan Ibrahim, Mufti of Perlis and other radical islamists to spread their venom among the muslims.
@@meeratasworld2925 Don't be misled with free health care, education, etc. Income taxes goes as high as 38% or more - federal tax, provincial tax, minicipal tax!
Great video!! Summary of your Pros ❤1) Friendly people 2) English speaking public. 3) Large expat community 4) Lower cost of living 5) More developed compared to others with good road system and public transport. Good internet service 6) Good medical service (fast appointments and cheaper costs). 7) Feel safer due to lower crime rates. 8) Good food - local and western. 9) Better air quality compared to other countries. 10) Low threat of natural disasters. Your Nays -🤢 1) Weather is hot comparatively. 2) A lot travelling if you are going back to USA. Expensive and long journey. 3) Immigration laws stricter due to Covid 19 and changes in laws for Malaysia my 2nd Home. Good review. I think you missed out a few - Pros - 1) Strict gun laws - no guns allowed for unauthorised people 2) Lots of nice warm beaches (where you can swim) in East Coast of West Malaysia and in East Malaysia 2) The conversion rate is very good for foreigners. Things are cheap if you convert USD1 = RM4.39 as at 26.5.22. 3) Very good banking system. You can do online banking and transfer funds to get immediate /fast credit transfers. Credit card, Debit cards, E-Wallets, QR code payments widely used here. Heck we are ahead of US in some of these banking stuff . And yes we have ATMs and Cash Deposit machines in lots of places. 4) Lots of back to nature places to explore in East Malaysia. We have some of the best diving sites in the world like Pulau Sipadan, Pulau Tioman and Pulau Perhentian. 5) Relatively cheap petrol. 6) Relatively cheap food if you are cooking. 7) Super easy to make friends here if you are the friendly type. If you have some good local friends, they can show you some of the best hidden food places around. So have Malay, Chinese and Indian friends who can take you to these secret places for Kosher and non Kosher cuisines. 8) Malaysians hardly use their car horns!! Unless you pissed someone off with your bad driving. But we won't shoot you as we don't have guns. You can get a headache hearing the incessant horning in some countries but not here. Just visit New Delhi and Jakarta and you will know what I mean. 9) We have many top Universities here and it is cheaper to do your tertiary education in Malaysia at universities like Monash, Heriot Watt, Curtin, Nottingham, Swinburne etc. They offer twinning programmes to their countries of origin. We have lots of International schools and home schooling programmes for young children too 10) If you are Caucasian, you are like royalty and can get more privileges and better treatment. 11) We are tech savvy. You can get Grab car services easily (like Uber in some places) or order your food delivery via your mobile apps. We will be moving to 5G soon. You can get 200-500 mbps Internet speeds in major towns. You can subscribed Netflix, Walt Disney and others although we have 1st class cinemas. 12) We have one of the best airports in the world at KLIA and KLIA 2. Super easy to travel to Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Hanoi, etc Before C19, we used to have cheap and easy (sometimes free) flights to many parts of Asia. Just like hopping on a bus for a trip. There is a high speed train service to these airports too. 12) You won't get diarrhoea when you drink our tap water or eat at the hawker stalls. Our nays - 1) We are fallen angels when it comes to driving Watch out for the smaller motorbikes when you are driving and wait a few seconds before you drive when the light turns green. But you'll get used to it once you can shift your eyes left, right, rear mirror and drive within split seconds. But we drive on the left side of the road. So look left, look right and left again before you cross our roads. 😀.
Thank you, Sir. Total respect for all Malaysians, the best people I ever met in the world. Way better than the USA and the racist Thai (Chinese) government.
I am Malaysian. Once I went to Cuba for my friend's wedding. Took me 36 hours to arrive there. Hahaha. I said to myself ''Never again'' :D So completely understand the reason of too far away from home country while living in Malaysia. And that was my one time experience.
I am a Singaporean who choose to retire in Malaysia, in a dream house overlooking the golf course, fitted with rain and solar harvesting. Life and food here are quite like Singapore except Malaysia has more nature, slower life pace, enjoyable drive holidays and less crowded, all at a fraction of Singapore price. Cheers.
Hi Ryan & Emily, glad you hear you're considering coming to stay in Malaysia. As a Singaporean, I would recommend it for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Essentially you can't beat the value for money and the mostly modern infrastructure. Yes the afternoon humidity can be bothersome and takes some getting used to. Of course the distance from the States would be, in my opinion the only negative point. The other thing you want to look at if you decide to make Malaysia your second home would be how to spend your time. One way would be to teach say English, for example. That would not pay very much but it would keep the mind alert and provide perhaps an extra motivation and some spare spending money.
Thank you Don! I like your suggestion of teaching English and the benefits it would provide. I would also consider teaching math/science at an international school. Thank you!
@@snailtravelers Thanks for choosing Malaysia. In Penang, there are many matured expat communities and opportunities to teach in the international schools and volunteer in the charitable communities or academies too. For instance, travel.ourbetterworld.org/story/journey/reluctant-hotel-keeps-giving/story the retired couple (one of them was a doctor) from Singapore run a resort with a charitable academy at the same time.
Good info Wenxi. I like the story of the retired doctor. We met with an international school in Penang when we were there to make a connection about possibly working there if we come back to Penang.
Yes, absolutely! We lived in Ipoh for two months (we have a video about Ipoh on our channel) and loved being in that city. Great food, great people, and great activities in Ipoh. Thanks!
Glad that I found your video. My husband is a foreigner and we are always thinking which countries is the best for us to settle down. Watching your video is an eye opening for me, and without any doubt, Malaysia is the best country for us to settle down. Thank you 😊
Penang is certainly one of d best cities for expatriates in Malaysia. It's also popular for d Malaysia, my second home program for foreigners n retirement.
The thing i really appreciate about malays as a foreigner 20 years in thailand is malays are much less xenophobic and racist than thais and being a foreigner feels much more chill in malaysia
As far as location, we do like how it is central to get around Asia and is a pretty big hub. But to get home to the US would be far regardless if you were to retire in Asia
Isnt there a direct flight from SG to LAX and Newark? There are many daily flight to and fro KL-SG so i guess this should be convenient for international travels.
@@shazwankamel2187 that's why he says it takes 3 flights. PEN > SIN, SIN > LAX, plus I imagine his family isn't living within comfortable driving distance from LAX so one more flight.
You missed mentioning one super sweet deal: no daylight saving time adjustments and that sunrise and sunset is generally the same throughout the year! Good for the increasingly older bio-clocks :D
I lived in Malaysia for work in so many beautiful places . I have myself a dream of retiring there, but emigration is full of holes ( I mean Is quite confuse ways how to get citizenship ) and quite complicated .. maybe second home but is expensive ... anyway I lived in KL Taman Maluri ; Pulao Pinang in Georgetown, Sarawak Kuching. and Johor Bahru ... love the food , the people , the culture and I did make so many friends there with the years ... If any “ Sultan or ministry “ read this ( hope is never lost) hope you can give me a reference letter for a citizenship there ; because I falled in love with the country ... Best regards and wish you guys the best ... great video ..
I love this video. Thank you! Many channels list only the upsides of a location, giving an inaccurate view. Some haven't even been to the countries they're recommending. I've been to about 35 countries, but am now forced into early retirement because some despots wanted to flatten the economy. I love Bali, but should also visit Malaysia if it ever reopens to visitors.
I am from Penang state of Malaysia. Welcome to Penang, Pearl of orient Where the cost of living is low, people are friendly and there are variety of foods available. As for the weather, staying at the hilly side of Penang Where the weather is not so hot. Penang is ranked as one of the top city for retirement.
For Selangor/KL residents..They like drive to Genting Highlands resorts during weekend or holidays.. just 45min-1.15hours away from KL..The weather just 16℃-24℃ whole year.. Before the pandemic,we can take the bus from different locations in KL/Selangor to Genting Highlands too..One way tickets including cable car ride is around $3-$4 only
Yup the buses can be taken at the Terminal Putra (now known as Gombak LRT Station the other end station for Kelana Jaya line LRT). I went to Genting Highlands for the weekend using public transport and it was spur of the moment visit and stay (was joining friend who was there to go to the theme park) 👍🏼.
@@jum255 I never thought of that...that's a sweet perspective! Either way, I am always happy when I get to visit - I've been there many times, but not in years...life and all that ;-)
Great video. My wife, her mother and I are looking to move to Malaysia in 2024. We're eagerly awaiting the new MM2H requirements so we can start getting everything together and our paperwork started. We've already contacted the same agency in Penang it looks like you're using and they'll keep us updated. The two main hooks for us wanting to move there are the low cost of living and the inexpensive healthcare. Just subscribed, looking forward to more great information.
Consider the Sarawak MM2H Program...it's retained most of the older rules. In fact in many respects it was even more liberal and beneficial than the Federal MM2H before the revisions.
@@gerrelldrawhorn8617 We looked at that but we’re afraid the Malaysian government would force them to follow their rules eventually. Also, flights in and out must stop at bigger places in the area (Singapore, KL) to travel internationally. We actually just moved to Phuket, Thailand a couple of weeks ago. Only have to extend our retirement visa once a year.
Thank you for giving us your pros and cons. We love Malaysia too! We are looking forward to long term travel there again. It's the end of May and we are still heating our homes here in France. Electricity and wood for heating is sooo expensive. Keep us updated.
I was once a taxi driver. Have a lot of foreign regular customers. The UKs love the hot weather. The US also love it, FYI their from Minneapolis. What they've said was, you can walk around with just shorts and T-shirt the whole year. They've lived in Kuala Lumpur for 7 years. They're more a friend than a customer. They've even said to me, I'm more than a friend to them. I'm guessing, I'm their family here in Malaysia. Really missed them, they've moved to Bangkok. Still in contact thru FB.
Glad both of u enjoy staying in Malaysia...We welcome both of u anytime...after international border open to tourists...after covid19 pandemic ease.... WELCOME TO MALAYSIA..MY UTube friends...♡ from Malaysia..May 2021
Fyi, there's a Malay saying, "Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri; lebih baik lagilah negeri sendiri". Literally translated to roughly mean "Gold rains in foreign lands/countries, stoney pebble rains in own land; much more peferrably better own land/country".
I have met many expats here in KL and I have to say you guys are amplifying joy to us too. I have never meet anyone that is nasty. You guys are friendly as us to you. Selamat Datang (Welcome in Bahasa language)
For someone who already visited 70 countries, yet he choose malaysia as possible retirement place. I feel honored. But now i wonder why some of my friend will always critisize malaysia & government almost on daily basis. lol
@@Cemerijatt yea, to certain extend i must admit that our government failing hard in handling covid, politian busy with politics. But when i told this to my collegues from india, iran, pakistan, trust me whatever our government do now still much & miles better about what happened in their countries. At least our government servant still in tact no matter which parties win, our countries policies, king order all well in place. I just hope this crook politician move forward to built this country
I watched your video with great interest. As a born again Christian I would never consider living in a country where Christianity is not the predominate religion however I agree there are many other plusses about Malaysia. I believe that Malaysia has good government. Not perfect of course but no country is perfect. I live in Sydney Australia and the time zones aren't all that much different and the travel times less. I remember the gas queues in the 70's. Malaysia is fortunate to have an abundant supply of oil and I found with my pocket calculator their gasoline was about half what you would pay in Australia. I don't know too much about power supply but I know Singapore is reliant on Malaysia for power and water. so Malaysia must be well organised in that area. I have a nephew living in Singapore who is too young to remember and has never had to wait fill his car in the 70's. In Australia we only get about 30% of our oil from our own wells. In the case of a naval blockade we only have 20 days of liquid fuel supply far below the UN manditory 90 days supply. We rely on the US Navy to keep the supply sea lines open. I have travelled to Malaysia and did enjoy my time there. Overall thank you for the information provided it is of great interest to me.
Have you looked into Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia? Beautiful places with many similarities to Cameron Highlands except not as expensive. Beautiful beaches, mountains terrains etc.
I know Malaysia since more than 50 years and Iive in KL. This is the most honest video I have seen on the subject. You just forgot 2 details: 1/ geographical location which allows you to visit fantastic places around from Japan to Australia and all in between. 2/ fiscal facilities: MM2H do not pay taxes ( applicable to US????) TQ
Malaysia is a great place to live, especially Penang. We loved the climate, beach, the culture and heritage! The healthcare is really good, on par or better than some of the developed nations. We can testify because my wife gave birth to our kids there, the experience has been fantastic! The food! Yup Penang food is one of the best in Asia in my opinion. Generally it’s good except they need to take better note on conserving the natural landscape and environment. Overall great experience there
Been living in Malaysia on and off for over 10years. I agree most of them can speak a fair amount of English but all their official documents that they send to you are in Malay so learn it or have someone you trust that understands it to translate it to you. Their government hospital fees are real cheap compare to most other countries ( Not private hospitals ). 1 time while staying there I had this nasty rash all over my body and had a high fever. Went to the local hospital where after consulting the doctor and had a blood test they confirmed I was having Chickenpox. When I went to pay the bill was told since I am not a local they have to charged me double. Total amount of the the consultation and blood test cost me RM5.00 that is like USD1.50.
@@jlcgu11 Not sure if the local tax payers are subsidizing the balance but from what I heard from a local earning RM3000/mth that he is under the tax bracket and does not need to pay any tax back in 2018. ( Not sure if the law has changed recently)
If u r looking for some medical pil/tablets..U can go any pharmacy nearby..Few days ago I m looking for CINNA tablets cinnarizine 25mg for my mom,it only cost RM3(usd0.75) for 10pcs..So much cheaper compare to clinic or private hospital
MRI in private hospital around RM1200 = USD300 . But if you go to government hospital it is free for Malaysian, foreigners/expat need to pay a small sum of money. Waiting list is around 4 to 5 weeks. Maybe shorter depends to situations.
Hi Since 1983 we live and work.in Malaysia and Thailand. We have a condo in Bangkok and a house in Alor Star/Kedah. Most of your comments are spot on but some are not so: 1. The air pollution in Malaysia is much worse than in Thailand over a year. The polution comes from Sumatra. 2. Live somewhere at the west coast but near to Penang for shopping and food,. The Cameron highland can be very humid 3. Some of the government and private hospitals are really very good, but most are rather average (I had a major stroke in Alor Star) 4. True many Malaysians can communicate in English but please be aware the Education system is based Bahasa Malaysia. 5. In Malaysia you as a foreigner can own land and house, in Thailand you cannot. 6. Please consider that the living costs vary from the cheap north to the expensive south
Nice. I have watched a few of your vlogs, and had wanted to contact you if you were passing by to the state of Kelantan. I had wanted to invite you to my kampong, but due to covid situation it's unpredictable and not convenient for you both to be traveling easily. But it's great to see your slow travels in Malaysia. I had the privilege to have Jetlag Warriors to come to my kampong and home. They made a few videos here. I had also wanted to meet Food n Footprints - Greg Jumi, but missed the chance. I enjoy watching travellers' vlogs.
Please continue to let us know about how comfortable the climate is and the situation with bugs. I’m hoping to be a retired nomad but my husband thinks I won’t like the hot humid weather and bugs. I love the cost of living videos with the the range of costs.
Thanks! We didn't have too many problems with bugs in our apartments. It's quite common to see fumigation for mosquitos. We rarely saw and spiders or roaches. But we did sometimes have a gecko come into our apartment through an open window. Our next video will go into more detail about our cost of living in Malaysia, and then we plan a video about tips for living in Malaysia. Thanks for watching and stay tuned......!
You dont have problems with spiders and creepy bugs in Malaysia homes due to proper fumigation, which you can continue to do after you move in. Cockroaches could be a problem if you dont keep your house clean. Otherwise, that wont be an issue. You only experience that if you live in a jungle area. However most houses and apartments in Malaysia are in developed areas without such issues.
I didn't see any bugs in Malaysia, even in Taman Negara, during an inner jungle experience. We were bitten extremely badly by mosquitoes and black fly in Lac St Jean, Quebec. You need to do your homework , it's a good idea to ask people who have actually been. Which we should have done!
UPDATE AUGUST 11, 2021: The new MM2H requirements have been announced. More information in this link:
www.theedgemarkets.com/article/malaysia-my-second-home-mm2h-programme-reactivated-new-applications-be-processed-october-%E2%80%94
Wow, that's a huge jump in the monthly income requirement.
@@youtubewatcher5805 Yes, definitely, and unfortunately we don't even come close to meeting the new requirements.
@@snailtravelers My guess is that almost no one that wants to retire to Malaysia meets those criteria. For $10K/month you could live in London, Tokyo, Singapore, NYC, etc.
@@youtubewatcher5805 agree
those who create the new rule do not understand that in order to earn Net after tax of USD 10k are in upper management or Directors or few humble hard working employee whom would not afford 90 days holiday to come have a piss in kl 🤣
@El Che for that amount of cash being locked up at bank , you could live in few European country or even citizenship. we must be well prepared this round that this mmfh only 5 years. after 5 years their new knife would chop us again whichever political party win the musical chair of the PM
lived here 30 years, from UK , never been happier
👍 You're one of us Malaysian locals now. 😊. How about durian 1 round mate?
Nanti I belanja durian bro
How do you handle the hot and humdity weather?
@@lot5953
Can i attempt to answer on Raymond Mountford's behalf?
1. Airconditioned area.
2. Cool n dry airconditioned area.
3. Cool, dry, sunshaded, breezy, n without mosquitoes area.
4. Indoor when it is hot humid n rainy.
5. Pray to God you are still alive and things wont get any worse.
6. Positive thinking n attitude in front of everybody. Be honest with yourself whenever you are gonna be negative abt anything n by yourself n a few trusted people.
7. Do the Vinny Vanilli; Blame it On the Rain.
@@Mister_Ri_MFBMT I agree. Thanks to God that's I'm still alive. Much better situations than people Palestine. Hope they will find good fortunates after being abused by high power neighbor. Thanks for giving me positive views in life
I feel Malaysia is a hidden gem, situated in between & often overshadowed by Singapore as a financial hub & Thailand. The food is just fantastic & cheap, with good people all around
i have a 75 years old friend from Yorkshire UK and he has been living in KL, Malaysia for the past 20 years. His only wish is to die in Kota Kinabalu Sabah which he described as a heaven on earth.
As a Malaysian I never been to East Malaysia before lol
As a S'porean, i couldn't agree more...Would like to retire there one day, specifically in Kundasang..
Hahaha indeed. Sabah's Nature beauty beyond this world.
I would love to retire there too
KK is beautiful..My mum n bro are Sabahan..I grew up in KL sadly n my father is from Pahang
Although I am not about to settle any time soon I could definitely imagine retiring in Malaysia. It was my favorite country even before having stayed there for a year.
Completely agree!
Ha Ha Ha...you're already a M'sian to us
Nasi campur and nasi lemak is always ready for you... 😂
nanti datang sabah ya.. :))
Lemongrass, miss your very interesting videos, especially the ones in Malaysia, hope you will be back, do stay safe, healthy & take good care of your family too. Excellent
Malaysia has so much going for it! Couldn’t agree more about the friendly people, great food, English proficiency, safety and development
thank for the feedback.. 👍👍👍
WOW, this is AMAZING facts and info-graphic, but lovely.
I really admire how comprehensive your work on this videos,
THUMBS UP !!!! i learn things here too.. thank you so much.
but the -ve points would probably a lot of work around to get it right..
They are friendly to rich people only.
@@NavinGautam. ya , but malay always friendly to everyone ☺
@Eddie VVP visitors usually doesnt need to know about politician bcoz every country has similar isue. either known or unknown to us. we live and having good life becoz of good politics as well. the most important was country policies that made the visitor feel so good... if visitors are grateful by having good food. good environment and good hospitalitis, it is bcoz of good governance too. so everybody play a part in this lovely country. u heard riot in indonesia? riot in thailand? bribes in india.. racial abuse in US? yes... so if everybody being grateful and together we keep this world peace and beautiful. take care our rubbish. drive carefully and be civillised on the road. respect other people and mean no harm to anyone else
so far most our lovely visitor able to stay almost a year or over with safety and good hospitality bcoz of everybody doing their part..
if we want to be good. it is only us ourself can do it.. nobody can stop us even government.. we love to complaint about our parents, our government.. everybody else. lets just focus we ourself do better for everyone else.. free will. no reason. it is just bcoz we are good people.. we love every races in malaysia and we hate bad people by any color.. and more importantly, country policies made by politicians are one biggest factor helping more visitor to visit malaysia with ease..
I travelled to Malaysia many times and never got disappointed...as you said the people are very friendly and helpful, and the food is just amazing. I could spend my retired time in KL...
You're most welcome bro....! @$?🤗
Glad I found this video. I am a Filipino professional working here in Malaysia for almost two years now and we have the same opinions and liking about how it feels like living in Malaysia. I love the people, friendly and can speak enough language to communicate. Although I have encountered people who can't speak english as I can't speak Bahasa, its not a problem at all. I may not eat some of their local foods but it's not a problem cause I can cook my own Filipino food. The life here is affordable if we are just to talk about our daily needs. Groceries and apparel are reasonably affordable. I don't see any reasons not to live here forever but I know for a fact that I am only carrying my work visa which would expire in a certain period of time. Thank you Malaysia for being so diverse.
That’s what I thought about the Philippines 🇵🇭
You are most welcome.
I haven't been to the Philippines, but I suspect it suffers from the same awful heat and humidity. The actual temperature isn't all that high. But the humidity make you feel like you're living in an oven. On the plus side, it is merely uncomfortable and never dangerous. Our bodies are designed for this climate. Nobody ever died of cold or heat, even if they are caught outside without shelter a whole day and night. 😊
@@danielch6662 what are you talking about?
@@ManiacMane777 humidity
Great video.
I am planning to retire in Malaysia so this video was very helpful. All your positive ones are what I expected in Malaysia but I'll say the hot weather is a positive one for me because I hate the cold especially living in gloomy UK where in winter we only see 6 hours of daylight hours and that is depressing. Another advantage for me personally is because I'm a Muslim from England and have many Malaysian friends. I have been to Malaysia 5 times and just simply love the country and its amazing people and culture
Sounds like Malaysia would be the perfect country for you too! We will join you there when we retire!
You welcome here my muslim brother..
@@snailtravelers I hope we do but it'll be another 8 years for me before I think about retirement
@@huhuhuhu2603 Insha'allah my muslim brother. I have always been welcomed in Malaysia having been there 5 times
It is not so much that it is hot. There are a lot of hot places. It is the combination of the high humidity and heat that gets to people.
Watching your videos makes me appreciate my country more. Thanks.
Glad to hear that. Thanks for watching!
same thought, proud to be malaysian
I have been for 18 months here in Malaysia , it’s an amazing to live here, unfortunately I’ll be leaving in 2 weeks to serbia , will be back soon.
We’ve been here for 8 years, 6 in KL and the last 2 in Penang. This after 4 years in China and many years in Singapore. Maybe we’ll never leave. My daughters (10 and 11) consider Malaysia home as it’s all they remember.
It's one of the best countries in the world. And it's one of the best countries to retire in.
Nahhhh giving the choice many Malaysian would migrate
@@mrsupermannow good for them, it's not harmony to have too many unhappy souls though, regardless where you are -- life is damn too short to be where you can't stop complaining
Thank you for your review. I think its ironic that a foreigner have to make a video to remind Malaysian that we live in such a beautiful country. Most average Malaysian would probably agree that this country is such a mess, only because politics are thrown into the equation. Remove the politics part, we would all enjoy malaysia in a whole new perspective. I wish you guys to have a great retirement journey ahead, and make more awesome videos to remind us, this is an awesome country 👍🏻
I Agree with your view
Me too I always thought that our country was a little bit of a mess but there are always ups and downs in everything😅
Hey if you don’t mind me asking, what’s wrong with the politics in Malaysia? Seems like a stable country to me and I’m planning on moving there in the near future so any insight is appreciated. Thanks!
@Eden Err I’m a Singaporean and Malaysia can’t be compared with Indonesia. Malaysia is much more developed in human rights, women’s rights and secular rights. In Indonesia it’s not uncommon that minorities get charged for ridiculous things like “blasphemy”. In Malaysia, the minorities are left alone and not expected to adhere to Muslim laws or sensitivities. I notice each ethnic group in Malaysia live quite independently from the rest. It’s normal for Malaysian women, native malays or Chinese Malaysian to be educated to the same degree as the boys in the family, only thing that would determine such decisions is how rich the family is.
@Eden Yeah that’s where I disagreed with you. There is a discernible difference in both radicalism and living standards between the two.
I think in Southeast Asia, after Singapore then it’s Malaysia, Thailand is right behind Malaysia, then behind Thailand are Indonesia and Philippines on the same tier. Then Vietnam and the rest of Indo China. Vietnam obviously better than Laos and Cambodia but not much. Malaysia is actually really similar in appearance and the way you’d live, to Singapore, just cheaper, bigger and depending on where in Malaysia, feels like a few years behind Singapore but very similar.
Social or political backwardness are traits that you find in most third world countries but not always. There are also many socially backwards countries which are very wealthy like the oil rich Arab countries like Dubai. Also Singapore is politically backwards and not politically free as well. Latin America has more crime and corruption issues but are quite advanced in women’s equality.
I’m a Malaysian from Penang living in the UK for more than 20 years. Very proud of Malaysia. One day will retire in Penang. You mentioned about location is negative to fly back to USA but bear in mind for the same factor it’s very close to other holiday destinations like Bali, Siem Reap, Krabi, Singapore and many more beautiful places. And it’s very affordable with Air Asia flights. My dream location to retire is in Batu Feringghi, Penang where it is quieter, calmer and a bit cooler close to the beach and jungles. Good luck with your searches.
Visiting his beloved is one of his priorities, so yeah, a return trip in every 6 months or even yearly can be very tiring, especially for an elderly person
Why not stay in UK to the end of life?
@@jennylim7637 cost of medical
True one might opt to live in Latin America as it is a few hours closer. But really Malaysia is about the same distance as other affordable Asian destinations like Thailand. Philippines about 1.5 hours less. Travel time from Chiang Mai or Phuket to US about the same as from Sarawak.
Not surprise to hear you choose Malaysia of all the 70 countries you visited to retire.
Yes, absolutely!
Just saw your video on your pro's and con's on living in Malaysia. I'm from Seattle Washington and moved to Malaysia in 1995 and been here since. I am currently on a MM2H program. Its fantastic and I will never be returning to Seattle. As to language yes most Malaysians speak English but its your responsibility to also speak their language . I now speak Malay , cantonese etc. The MM2H program will not start up any time soon as there were to many applications so therefore if and when they bring it back the requirements will be a lot higher as far as financial requirements. If you have any questions let me know I'm going on almost 3 decades here.
Thanks for your comment and great information John. We did learn a few basic phrases in Malay, but I have to admit that we got kind of lazy about learning the language since it was so easy just to speak English. That's no excuse, I know, and we will consider enrolling in a language class if we do get MM2H. I fear you might be right about the MM2H having higher financial requirements whenever it restarts. We were struggling to meet the old requirements, so I fear it might be too high for us. We did look at Sarawak's requirements and I think we could go that route once I turn 50. I'm going to bookmark your comment so that I can easily find it and let you know if we have any questions for you in the future. After nearly 30 years in Malaysia I'm sure you certainly would have great insight into living in Malaysia.
@@snailtravelers Dear Snail Travelers thanks for your reply. Yes your most welcome to contact me at anytime. After 30 years of living here I know just about everyone in town. Last week I just got my vaccine so I'm happy about that. I have tried to inform folks on the MM2H program but to no avail most don't believe me that it will be along time before it comes back and mostly due to politics. "Malaysia Boleh lah" and when it does it will be quite a lot. As for me I had to show in cash and not in investments a lot of money and you need to show at least RM20k/month in income. And yes it says RM10K but the reality is a lot more. One other item make sure you have a very very good agent, they will make the difference getting your visa or not. They agent will pre qualify you with out payment so they don't waste their time or yours. We just bout a very nice high rise condo and live very comfortable . Thailand is another destination but that's even more money. If you have any questions just find me on FB. I assume you are still in KL. If you are we can meet up anytime.
This is very good info, thank you so much!
@@snailtravelers
You may apply directly since language isn't a problem or via any of the licensed/registered MM2H agent listed on the official mm2h.gov.my website.
You may also google Expat.com as they have guides for expats who are interested to apply for the MM2H.
You should definitely google for Malaysia/MY Expats websites or forums or Facebook groups to read up more about experiences by other expats in Malaysia.
@Photojouralist123 Do you know if it is possible to get CPAP supplies and insulin pump supplies in Malaysia? Also, is it possible to purchase electric stoves there, or are there only gas stoves? Do houses tend to have a lot of mold in them due to the rain and humidity? We are considering possible retirement there from Canada (probably in Tanah Ratah, Cameron Highlands) but I have a lot of health issues, two of which are very bad allergies to mold and to any form of cooking gas (natural gas or propane). Thanks for any insights you can offer.
Im Malaysian and I cannot imagine leaving my country for good. I have loved my childhood, and my food here. And there's still so much to explore in Malaysia, the islands, rainforest, mountains
True. SE Asia is a fascinating region too.
Something else we noticed after being in Thailand for 2 months now is that imported groceries in Malaysia seemed to be much more affordable and bigger selection at stores like Jaya Grocer and Village Grocer
Agree....prices of imported groceries in Malaysia seems very expensive to purchase for many Malaysians earning normal wages and even for expats but if we convert the prices to exact exchange rates, yes it's still cheaper in Malaysia as compared to Singapore or Thailand ..and likely better prices and choices for those in major cities ..in Thailand likely better to choose local produce ..
Yo hun!!! Where is that Jaya Grocer.. at in Malaysia??? Just don't say penang!!! I kinna not like or interested to visit penang hhhhhh i don't like any islands in this world.
@@Fallen_Angel17 Google search Jaya Grocer and you can find there are few outlets in Klang Valley and JB ..prices of everything in almost all brand of supermarkets varies a little according to their promotions or offers for the week,the day or the month..so at times, certain items may be cheaper ..
really?
@@xchaix Yup. For example, we found Greek feta cheese, olive oil and olives for solid prices that were often the same or even lower than the US. Same cheese is more than double the price here in Thailand, so we don’t bother.
I am from Canada. We have been staying in Penang for almost 2 years now. Despite the pandemic, we like Malaysia. Bit hot but it is still better than cold weather. Good video contents. Real and candid. Keep it up.
I am an American and visited about 30 countries. My chosen country to retire - Malaysia! But I live a month in each malaysian state…. then back to USA (personal reasons). Malaysia is a fascinating country. And yes, very hot.
Americans should have a RECIPROCAL green card, with full civil and property rights -- same as in the USA. There is not reason not to. With every Asian country, individually and bilaterally. Taiwanese have 900,000 green cards. Thais have 300,000 green cards. The mainland Chinese have literally over a million green cards.
Been in Malaysia for almost 10 years now. First 6 years in KL and then Penang. I wholehearted agree that the Malaysian people are the main reason for staying here. They are so friendly and helpful. Then when you take into account the wonderful food, cost of living and excellent medical care available then it's a no-brainer retiring here.
I have been traveling to Malaysia for business multiple times a year for almost the past 10 years, often for around 1-2 months at a time. I can confirm that most of what this video covers is true and I often think to myself that I want to live in Malaysia someday.
Thank you for the information, I do love Malaysia and would like to visit there again.
Thank you Lisa!
Now that you are back in the USA, hopefully vaccinated, where do you want to go next? We are also praying for MM2H to re-open but don't expect much before covid vaccines are widely deployed in Malaysia. Ten years ago we would have never believed that Malaysia would be our dream destination today. The people of Malaysia are some of the best we have met.
We're getting our second vaccine dose in about a week, then we'll have some time with our family. We're not sure where we are going next, we have a few ideas but we're waiting to see if a few more options open up as some countries decide to reopen. We completely agree with your descriptions of Malaysia. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the compliment
@@snailtravelers Try Vietnam. You'll find the people there extremely friendly, especially in the north
Can't believe you said our country public transport is much higher than US. Thank you for your honor
The USA gets lots of publicity but it isn't anywhere near as good (living standards wise) as the publicity would have people believe. I would seriously consider living in Malaysia but NEVER in the USA.
Totally agree with you Amir...was pretty shocked
We have decent inter state and inter City public transport system but within the city/town isn't as good unless u use grab which is not much for the expats but could be expensive for some of the locals
@@pewpewpew2325 oh, come on. The locals do what the Americans do. Drive everywhere. I'm thinking of making a run to the supermarket for supplies, do you think I'm walking the 2km or taking the bus? 😁 It's only 2km. When I was 20 I would have walked. But that is because I didn't have a car when I was 20. I even drive when going to the Speedmart behind my house a mere 200m away. They're so close, if I shouted loudly from my back door, they could hear me. 😊 Still, 90% of the time, I drive there.
It depends a lot on the city, but I would have to say that some fairly large cities in the U.S. have almost no public transportation, and our passenger rail system is decrepit and underfunded. If you have been to the UK, you will be surprised to learn that I think that trains in the UK are better than those in the U.S., despite some very real problems with the British system, which I experienced on my last trip.
Malaysia welcome nice couple like you. ...same goes to Greg & Jumi..
Thank you!
Adoii..tambah lagi penduduk kg Malaysia... Dah la mcm2 kes, lagi nak tambah...tapi kalau bayar permit n tax ok laaa...😔😔😔
@@ajuktoott tak silap org2 luar yg bersara kat Malaysia kebanyakkan dtg dari negara maju, diorang duduk kat Malaysia memang pakai permit, byar cukai dan berbelanja kat Malaysia, secara tdk langsung mmbantu local bisnes... Diorang bersara kat Malaysia sebab lebih murah cost of living brbanding bersara kat negara sendiri..
@@ErwinM888 makin padat LA Malaysia ni...
@@ajuktoott Jangan pandang satu sudut. Dengan kehadiran mereka (yang sah dan layak), banyak orang lain dapat manfaat. Para peniaga kecil misalnya. Pengusaha rumah tumpangan (homestay dll.), penghantar makanan, pemandu e-hailing dan banyak lagi. Kalau kita penting diri atau pun tak melihat sudut lain, memang nampak negatif belaka. Semua aktiviti ekonomi yang saya sebut tu akan memungkinkan aliran tunai masuk ke dalam negara sekaligus membantu meningkatkan ekonomi pada skala kecil dan besar.
Lived here in Penang 3 years now. The weather is warm but I certainly wouldn't call it hot. It's all relative to where you come from. As someone from Dallas and Houston and spent two years in Shenzhen I find it very pleasant. Lows around 78F and highs around 89F. You forgot to mention unlimited data and calls for less than $10USD per month per phone. In 2017 I was paying AT&T $120 per month for two phones. Health insurance, cheap cheap cheap and yes, agree the medical is great. I think much better than in the USA. I can walk in and see my cardiologist, dermatologist, just about any specialty. Medications are top notch and my cardiologist was horrified by the outdated hypertension meds I was getting from the VA. He said they quit using this in Malaysia almost 10 years ago. Also the new med, Micardis, is available OTC here as are many medicines.
As for being a long way from family, that is just a choice makes when deciding to retire overseas. Conversely, I can fly to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore for about $50USD each way per person and these destinations are about 1 hour fight time.
I second the medical comments. I had surgery at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Penang. Also, in Penang, I stayed at Glen Eagles Hospital during a bad bout of Dengue Fever. I have ZERO conplaints about the medical care there. It was excellent! Way better than the U.S. (in my opinion).
Lived in 70 countries and you recommend Malaysia as your No 1 makes me a Malaysian very proud and pleased. Thank you.
You are the best in the world. Forget USA (dangerous) and the racist, xenophobic Thailand (Chinese) government.
Its good to know that most of the positives are due to the collective efforts of the peoole and the negative points are due to factors they have less (direct) control of. This video strengthen my belief that we, Malaysian, are really trying our best to make our 'home' a better place for everyone. 👍🏻
That's a good point about the negative factors. The friendly people are the strongest factor for us. Thanks for watching!
Now that we have covid-19, nobody talks about the annual smog anymore. When we learn to live with covid-19, the smog will visit again.
@@danielch6662 I haven't seen 🌈 24/7 365 days, ever in my life, have you ??
No doubt, I'll choose Malaysia for my retirement too
Lived all over the world. I have spent 18 years in Malaysia, and I love it here. Only downside for me is the travel time back to the states.
But you dont go back to the states every fortnight, do you?
As someone from Malaysia living in US since 80s, I agree with your assessment. Especially on healthcare and school shootings. The heat and humidity unbearable in Malaysia even though lived in NC and Florida.
Florida has Mediterranean weather & Malaysia, tropical
Malaysia is a paradise on earth! Period!
You did a great job with this video!
Thanks guys, as always!
A while ago, I spoke to one uk couple. Both choose to retire in Malaysia because both has this rheumatism. He told me the hands are painful during the winter time in uk. But since retire in Malaysia, nothing serious happen due to the hot weather. So right now their plan is avoid winter in uk. Most of the time is still in Malaysia
Please go and visit Sarawak too..
I’m so grateful to be born in Malaysia. Ironically many people here wants to get out.
It could be sum up to a malay proverb ... Hujan emas di negeri orang , hujan batu di negeri sendiri , lebih baik negeri sendiri ... some people don't realize that , but at some point they will
The people like our country because they rich then us bruh, like 1410$ × 4? How much is our daily wage. Spending 4k every month is considered rich
that's true in a way , plus the taxes here are fairly cheap compared to others ... in a sense , they are loaded so that's why they like it here ... the power of dollars aye ?
@@matyuih True. Similar to the western saying... "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."
For locals, the issue is because of politicians. We can't stand the incompetence, corruption & the dishonesty. But if you're an expat/foreigner, this wouldn't make a difference because Msian policies always encourage intl business/tourism/retirement.
Thanks for choosing malaysia as one of the nation u choose to retire at.
I'm here 8 years now. Simple life on small Island. (Tioman). Yes, it can get very hot . Probably took 3 years for body to acclimatise.
oh how i miss tioman so much. I would go there every year to salang, berjaya before covid.
We live in the US and will retire in Malaysia as well. As for the flights, you may go to Singapore or KLIA and there's United Airlines direct flight to LA or SF or Malaysian Airlines to LA or SF as well.
Good info, thanks! We saw the direct flights from Singapore but none from KLIA. Maybe they will start up after Covid.
Air Asia has direct flight to Hawaii before covid..but the seat compartment is slightly smaller because it's a low cost carrier..Qatar airways has direct flight from Penang to Doha to get your next connecting flight to US cities
Good info, thanks! I believe Qatar has suspended the Penang flights, but hopefully they will start up again. A flight straight to Hawaii from KL would be nice, hopefully those flights will also start up again. Thank you!
Yes i was just commenting on this before seeing your comment. There are many daily flights to and fro KLIA-Changi and its only 45mins!
@@shazwankamel2187 KL - Singapore.. one of the world busiest international route till date👍🏻
Signore Tony, the affable owner of the popular Italian restaurant, Fellini (located in Jln.Gasing, Petaling Jaya) once told me this: “if you disregard the politics, Malaysia is the best country in the world to live in!” Incidentally, Tony hails from Rome and has lived in Malaysia for quite a number of years.
Knowing my own country, the downside is our politics.
All put together, MALAYSIA is a very good place to live. That's all. Beyond that, other considerations may turn out negative.
Really someone from Italy said that, 🤔 i've heard that italy and some other Europe countries have free healthcare and have more relaxing lifestyle, and some of them even have free education, i would say the country that have free education and free healthcare to be the best country in the world (yes i know their tax is high but its for a good reason right) , plus their nature are soooo beautiful, the european are so lucky to be blessed with such nature 😍😍 not sure about the crime rate though, i don't think Europe countries have high crime rates (i mean if we were to compare to malaysia)
I agree with your comment about "disregarding the politicians and politics" but I will add, avoid radicalized islamists. Unforutnately it is a fast spreading disease, allowing the likes of Zakir Naik, Hadisukawang, Tuan Ibrahim, Mufti of Perlis and other radical islamists to spread their venom among the muslims.
@@meeratasworld2925
Don't be misled with free health care, education, etc.
Income taxes goes as high as 38% or more - federal tax, provincial tax, minicipal tax!
Great video!! Summary of your Pros ❤1) Friendly people 2) English speaking public. 3) Large expat community 4) Lower cost of living 5) More developed compared to others with good road system and public transport. Good internet service 6) Good medical service (fast appointments and cheaper costs). 7) Feel safer due to lower crime rates. 8) Good food - local and western. 9) Better air quality compared to other countries. 10) Low threat of natural disasters. Your Nays -🤢 1) Weather is hot comparatively. 2) A lot travelling if you are going back to USA. Expensive and long journey. 3) Immigration laws stricter due to Covid 19 and changes in laws for Malaysia my 2nd Home. Good review. I think you missed out a few - Pros - 1) Strict gun laws - no guns allowed for unauthorised people 2) Lots of nice warm beaches (where you can swim) in East Coast of West Malaysia and in East Malaysia 2) The conversion rate is very good for foreigners. Things are cheap if you convert USD1 = RM4.39 as at 26.5.22. 3) Very good banking system. You can do online banking and transfer funds to get immediate /fast credit transfers. Credit card, Debit cards, E-Wallets, QR code payments widely used here. Heck we are ahead of US in some of these banking stuff . And yes we have ATMs and Cash Deposit machines in lots of places. 4) Lots of back to nature places to explore in East Malaysia. We have some of the best diving sites in the world like Pulau Sipadan, Pulau Tioman and Pulau Perhentian. 5) Relatively cheap petrol. 6) Relatively cheap food if you are cooking. 7) Super easy to make friends here if you are the friendly type. If you have some good local friends, they can show you some of the best hidden food places around. So have Malay, Chinese and Indian friends who can take you to these secret places for Kosher and non Kosher cuisines. 8) Malaysians hardly use their car horns!! Unless you pissed someone off with your bad driving. But we won't shoot you as we don't have guns. You can get a headache hearing the incessant horning in some countries but not here. Just visit New Delhi and Jakarta and you will know what I mean. 9) We have many top Universities here and it is cheaper to do your tertiary education in Malaysia at universities like Monash, Heriot Watt, Curtin, Nottingham, Swinburne etc. They offer twinning programmes to their countries of origin. We have lots of International schools and home schooling programmes for young children too 10) If you are Caucasian, you are like royalty and can get more privileges and better treatment. 11) We are tech savvy. You can get Grab car services easily (like Uber in some places) or order your food delivery via your mobile apps. We will be moving to 5G soon. You can get 200-500 mbps Internet speeds in major towns. You can subscribed Netflix, Walt Disney and others although we have 1st class cinemas. 12) We have one of the best airports in the world at KLIA and KLIA 2. Super easy to travel to Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Hanoi, etc Before C19, we used to have cheap and easy (sometimes free) flights to many parts of Asia. Just like hopping on a bus for a trip. There is a high speed train service to these airports too. 12) You won't get diarrhoea when you drink our tap water or eat at the hawker stalls. Our nays - 1) We are fallen angels when it comes to driving Watch out for the smaller motorbikes when you are driving and wait a few seconds before you drive when the light turns green. But you'll get used to it once you can shift your eyes left, right, rear mirror and drive within split seconds. But we drive on the left side of the road. So look left, look right and left again before you cross our roads. 😀.
Best years of my life in Malaysia. Would highly recommend it to everybody.
welcome to Malaysia, Sir. i as Malaysians proud you choose my country from your list for living after retire please welcome be a part of Malaysians
Thank you, Sir. Total respect for all Malaysians, the best people I ever met in the world. Way better than the USA and the racist Thai (Chinese) government.
I am Malaysian. Once I went to Cuba for my friend's wedding. Took me 36 hours to arrive there. Hahaha. I said to myself ''Never again'' :D
So completely understand the reason of too far away from home country while living in Malaysia. And that was my one time experience.
Malaysian people are the best. And welcoming. NOT like the Chinese (Teow-chu) government in Thailand, a bunch of racists.
I am a Singaporean who choose to retire in Malaysia, in a dream house overlooking the golf course, fitted with rain and solar harvesting. Life and food here are quite like Singapore except Malaysia has more nature, slower life pace, enjoyable drive holidays and less crowded, all at a fraction of Singapore price. Cheers.
Glad you like our country. Hope things work out well for your future, wherever you may be living.
Thank you very much!
Thank you so much for considering Malaysia as your second home.
Our pleasure! Thanks!
Haven’t been to that part of world but it looks like one could put on some serious weight living in Malaysia with all the exotic foods
Yes, absolutely! I could use a good weight-loss program right about now!
Hi Ryan & Emily, glad you hear you're considering coming to stay in Malaysia. As a Singaporean, I would recommend it for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Essentially you can't beat the value for money and the mostly modern infrastructure. Yes the afternoon humidity can be bothersome and takes some getting used to. Of course the distance from the States would be, in my opinion the only negative point. The other thing you want to look at if you decide to make Malaysia your second home would be how to spend your time. One way would be to teach say English, for example. That would not pay very much but it would keep the mind alert and provide perhaps an extra motivation and some spare spending money.
Thank you Don! I like your suggestion of teaching English and the benefits it would provide. I would also consider teaching math/science at an international school. Thank you!
@@snailtravelers Thanks for choosing Malaysia. In Penang, there are many matured expat communities and opportunities to teach in the international schools and volunteer in the charitable communities or academies too. For instance, travel.ourbetterworld.org/story/journey/reluctant-hotel-keeps-giving/story the retired couple (one of them was a doctor) from Singapore run a resort with a charitable academy at the same time.
In Malaysia, we have a lot of international school, colleges, private school and tuition centres and you could apply to be a teacher here.
@@mohdaminor9095 Yes, that is something definitely to consider. Thank you for the suggestion!
Good info Wenxi. I like the story of the retired doctor. We met with an international school in Penang when we were there to make a connection about possibly working there if we come back to Penang.
I am glad to hear that you love Malaysia so much. By the way, I am from Ipoh, Perak. A great city for retirement 😁😁😉
Yes, absolutely! We lived in Ipoh for two months (we have a video about Ipoh on our channel) and loved being in that city. Great food, great people, and great activities in Ipoh. Thanks!
Glad that I found your video. My husband is a foreigner and we are always thinking which countries is the best for us to settle down. Watching your video is an eye opening for me, and without any doubt, Malaysia is the best country for us to settle down. Thank you 😊
Penang is certainly one of d best cities for expatriates in Malaysia. It's also popular for d Malaysia, my second home program for foreigners n retirement.
The thing i really appreciate about malays as a foreigner 20 years in thailand is malays are much less xenophobic and racist than thais and being a foreigner feels much more chill in malaysia
Thank you for choosing Malaysia 🇲🇾, you’re welcome & wishing you & family happy & all the best.👏
As far as location, we do like how it is central to get around Asia and is a pretty big hub. But to get home to the US would be far regardless if you were to retire in Asia
we have AirAsia :)
Isnt there a direct flight from SG to LAX and Newark? There are many daily flight to and fro KL-SG so i guess this should be convenient for international travels.
@@shazwankamel2187 that's why he says it takes 3 flights. PEN > SIN, SIN > LAX, plus I imagine his family isn't living within comfortable driving distance from LAX so one more flight.
Southeast Asia is especially far from US. The flight from Japan, Seoul and Taipei are shorter.
I am from Malaysia. Nice to hear positive comments from you. Will subscribe to your channel. Nice to get an outsider's views of my country.
You missed mentioning one super sweet deal: no daylight saving time adjustments and that sunrise and sunset is generally the same throughout the year! Good for the increasingly older bio-clocks :D
Totally agreed. I travelled at least 15 times to Malaysia on vacation.
Malaysian here currently residing in Perth, Australia. I like Perth but I can't wait to go back and retire in Malaysia.
I lived in Malaysia for work in so many beautiful places . I have myself a dream of retiring there, but emigration is full of holes ( I mean Is quite confuse ways how to get citizenship ) and quite complicated .. maybe second home but is expensive ... anyway I lived in KL Taman Maluri ; Pulao Pinang in Georgetown, Sarawak Kuching. and Johor Bahru ... love the food , the people , the culture and I did make so many friends there with the years ... If any “ Sultan or ministry “ read this ( hope is never lost) hope you can give me a reference letter for a citizenship there ; because I falled in love with the country ... Best regards and wish you guys the best ... great video ..
Congratulations.You are our guest and we Malaysians usually treat our guests well.
Malaysians are best in the world. 1,000 % better than Thailand and their "farang" racism and xenophobia.
I love this video. Thank you! Many channels list only the upsides of a location, giving an inaccurate view. Some haven't even been to the countries they're recommending. I've been to about 35 countries, but am now forced into early retirement because some despots wanted to flatten the economy. I love Bali, but should also visit Malaysia if it ever reopens to visitors.
I am from Penang state of Malaysia.
Welcome to Penang, Pearl of orient Where the cost of living is low, people are friendly and there are variety of foods available.
As for the weather, staying at the hilly side of Penang Where the weather is not so hot. Penang is ranked as one of the top city for retirement.
For Selangor/KL residents..They like drive to Genting Highlands resorts during weekend or holidays.. just 45min-1.15hours away from KL..The weather just 16℃-24℃ whole year.. Before the pandemic,we can take the bus from different locations in KL/Selangor to Genting Highlands too..One way tickets including cable car ride is around $3-$4 only
Yup the buses can be taken at the Terminal Putra (now known as Gombak LRT Station the other end station for Kelana Jaya line LRT). I went to Genting Highlands for the weekend using public transport and it was spur of the moment visit and stay (was joining friend who was there to go to the theme park) 👍🏼.
Malaysia is such an underrated destination. I left a part of my heart there :-D
Well, perhaps you come back again to leave the other part of your heart here :-)
@@jum255 I never thought of that...that's a sweet perspective! Either way, I am always happy when I get to visit - I've been there many times, but not in years...life and all that ;-)
@@jum255 then he'd be a heartless man 😆😆😆😂😂😂
Great video. My wife, her mother and I are looking to move to Malaysia in 2024. We're eagerly awaiting the new MM2H requirements so we can start getting everything together and our paperwork started. We've already contacted the same agency in Penang it looks like you're using and they'll keep us updated. The two main hooks for us wanting to move there are the low cost of living and the inexpensive healthcare. Just subscribed, looking forward to more great information.
Consider the Sarawak MM2H Program...it's retained most of the older rules. In fact in many respects it was even more liberal and beneficial than the Federal MM2H before the revisions.
@@gerrelldrawhorn8617 We looked at that but we’re afraid the Malaysian government would force them to follow their rules eventually. Also, flights in and out must stop at bigger places in the area (Singapore, KL) to travel internationally. We actually just moved to Phuket, Thailand a couple of weeks ago. Only have to extend our retirement visa once a year.
Thank you for giving us your pros and cons. We love Malaysia too! We are looking forward to long term travel there again. It's the end of May and we are still heating our homes here in France. Electricity and wood for heating is sooo expensive. Keep us updated.
I was once a taxi driver. Have a lot of foreign regular customers. The UKs love the hot weather. The US also love it, FYI their from Minneapolis. What they've said was, you can walk around with just shorts and T-shirt the whole year. They've lived in Kuala Lumpur for 7 years. They're more a friend than a customer. They've even said to me, I'm more than a friend to them. I'm guessing, I'm their family here in Malaysia. Really missed them, they've moved to Bangkok. Still in contact thru FB.
Glad both of u enjoy staying in Malaysia...We welcome both of u anytime...after international border open to tourists...after covid19 pandemic ease....
WELCOME TO MALAYSIA..MY UTube friends...♡ from Malaysia..May 2021
LOVE your spirit! Not like the nasty xenophobic Thai (Chinese minority or Teow-chu) government.
Fyi, there's a Malay saying, "Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri; lebih baik lagilah negeri sendiri". Literally translated to roughly mean "Gold rains in foreign lands/countries, stoney pebble rains in own land; much more peferrably better own land/country".
I have met many expats here in KL and I have to say you guys are amplifying joy to us too. I have never meet anyone that is nasty. You guys are friendly as us to you.
Selamat Datang (Welcome in Bahasa language)
As a Malaysian leaving abroad, this make me miss Malaysia even more. Enjoy your retirement there, cheers
For someone who already visited 70 countries, yet he choose malaysia as possible retirement place. I feel honored. But now i wonder why some of my friend will always critisize malaysia & government almost on daily basis. lol
Bcs they are not travel to others country maybe...😀
Some people are so ungrateful , they only pay rm1 for outpatient treatment & free medication in government hospital
Do you see the catasthrophe Malaysia is in rn? And u wonder why malaysians are complaining?
people need to travel more and meet various kind of people then only they can feel grateful and think that xenophobia is actually ridiculous
@@Cemerijatt yea, to certain extend i must admit that our government failing hard in handling covid, politian busy with politics.
But when i told this to my collegues from india, iran, pakistan, trust me whatever our government do now still much & miles better about what happened in their countries.
At least our government servant still in tact no matter which parties win, our countries policies, king order all well in place. I just hope this crook politician move forward to built this country
I watched your video with great interest. As a born again Christian I would never consider living in a country where Christianity is not the predominate religion however I agree there are many other plusses about Malaysia. I believe that Malaysia has good government. Not perfect of course but no country is perfect. I live in Sydney Australia and the time zones aren't all that much different and the travel times less. I remember the gas queues in the 70's. Malaysia is fortunate to have an abundant supply of oil and I found with my pocket calculator their gasoline was about half what you would pay in Australia. I don't know too much about power supply but I know Singapore is reliant on Malaysia for power and water. so Malaysia must be well organised in that area. I have a nephew living in Singapore who is too young to remember and has never had to wait fill his car in the 70's. In Australia we only get about 30% of our oil from our own wells. In the case of a naval blockade we only have 20 days of liquid fuel supply far below the UN manditory 90 days supply. We rely on the US Navy to keep the supply sea lines open. I have travelled to Malaysia and did enjoy my time there. Overall thank you for the information provided it is of great interest to me.
Great country to break a habit of too much alcohol. Better for my health and weight!
Enjoyed your video.
You can stay in Penang and escape the heat by staying at Cameron Highlands or even Penang Hill.
Have you looked into Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia? Beautiful places with many similarities to Cameron Highlands except not as expensive. Beautiful beaches, mountains terrains etc.
Thank you for choosing our country as your top list we are so proud really....
Thank you too!
Welcome back to Malaysia brother and family we are happy for you and your family stay safe.I’m from Sarawak Borneo
There are two things that are noticable about you, your beauty and your lovely smile. We can be friends right, wechat ?
bcoz you choose malaysia as your no 1 top list...i choose your channel to be my top list youtube channel...👍
I know Malaysia since more than 50 years and Iive in KL. This is the most honest video I have seen on the subject. You just forgot 2 details:
1/ geographical location which allows you to visit fantastic places around from Japan to Australia and all in between.
2/ fiscal facilities: MM2H do not pay taxes ( applicable to US????)
TQ
Malaysia is a great place to live, especially Penang. We loved the climate, beach, the culture and heritage! The healthcare is really good, on par or better than some of the developed nations. We can testify because my wife gave birth to our kids there, the experience has been fantastic! The food! Yup Penang food is one of the best in Asia in my opinion. Generally it’s good except they need to take better note on conserving the natural landscape and environment. Overall great experience there
Glad to know you like Malaysia, We are welcome you and your family.
Hope yr MM2H application will be successful 🙏🏻Penang’s 👍🏻to retire,all the best💪🏻cheers😊
You may stay in Genting Highlands. Nearer to KL and there’s a shopping malls, restaurant and other exciting places.
Been living in Malaysia on and off for over 10years. I agree most of them can speak a fair amount of English but all their official documents that they send to you are in Malay so learn it or have someone you trust that understands it to translate it to you. Their government hospital fees are real cheap compare to most other countries ( Not private hospitals ). 1 time while staying there I had this nasty rash all over my body and had a high fever. Went to the local hospital where after consulting the doctor and had a blood test they confirmed I was having Chickenpox. When I went to pay the bill was told since I am not a local they have to charged me double. Total amount of the the consultation and blood test cost me RM5.00 that is like USD1.50.
Hahaha, $1.50
@@joeawk do you have this amount?? 😆😆😂😂😂😂
Wow, they charged you double for that?! What a double standard. Rm5 is really expensive. HAHA im joking
Goodness! The tax payers are subsidising the balance. I'm amazed how the public healthcare costs here are so much lower than in Western countries.
@@jlcgu11 Not sure if the local tax payers are subsidizing the balance but from what I heard from a local earning RM3000/mth that he is under the tax bracket and does not need to pay any tax back in 2018. ( Not sure if the law has changed recently)
Thanks for the information! I look forward to more vids.Malaysia is a place I would want to live in for a while.
If u r looking for some medical pil/tablets..U can go any pharmacy nearby..Few days ago I m looking for CINNA tablets cinnarizine 25mg for my mom,it only cost RM3(usd0.75) for 10pcs..So much cheaper compare to clinic or private hospital
Hi... I'm from Malaysia and I'm really welcoming you to stay with us... Welcome to my country... And welcome to the family.... 😊
4:08 Making us miss nasi kandar!
Your videos in Penang street food r epic.
Please comeback soon. We love you Greg and Jumi.
try to find nasi kandar in Thailand? :D
🌜... Not just Nasi Kandar.. Nasi Goreng..Nasi Kerabu..Nasi Lemak.. Nasi Campur.. and all the NASI.sssss
@@roslihamid82 Nasi kukus ayam goreng berempah, nasi ulam ayam percik, nasi dagang gulai ikan tongkol, nasi ayam ayam madu, nasi minyak kurma ayam, nasi tomato ayam masak merah , nasi briyani, kari ayam dan sebagaiNya. 😁😷😁
MRI in private hospital around RM1200 = USD300 . But if you go to government hospital it is free for Malaysian, foreigners/expat need to pay a small sum of money. Waiting list is around 4 to 5 weeks. Maybe shorter depends to situations.
Hi
Since 1983 we live and work.in Malaysia and Thailand. We have a condo in Bangkok and a house in Alor Star/Kedah. Most of your comments are spot on but some are not so:
1. The air pollution in Malaysia is much worse than in Thailand over a year. The polution comes from Sumatra.
2. Live somewhere at the west coast but near to Penang for shopping and food,. The Cameron highland can be very humid
3. Some of the government and private hospitals are really very good, but most are rather average (I had a major stroke in Alor Star)
4. True many Malaysians can communicate in English but please be aware the Education system is based Bahasa Malaysia.
5. In Malaysia you as a foreigner can own land and house, in Thailand you cannot.
6. Please consider that the living costs vary from the cheap north to the expensive south
I am a Singaporean...and i agree that the air quality is better there .
Nice. I have watched a few of your vlogs, and had wanted to contact you if you were passing by to the state of Kelantan. I had wanted to invite you to my kampong, but due to covid situation it's unpredictable and not convenient for you both to be traveling easily. But it's great to see your slow travels in Malaysia.
I had the privilege to have Jetlag Warriors to come to my kampong and home. They made a few videos here. I had also wanted to meet Food n Footprints - Greg Jumi, but missed the chance.
I enjoy watching travellers' vlogs.
Thanks! We were in Kelantan last July and really enjoyed visiting that state. Thank you for your kind message!
Please continue to let us know about how comfortable the climate is and the situation with bugs. I’m hoping to be a retired nomad but my husband thinks I won’t like the hot humid weather and bugs. I love the cost of living videos with the the range of costs.
Thanks! We didn't have too many problems with bugs in our apartments. It's quite common to see fumigation for mosquitos. We rarely saw and spiders or roaches. But we did sometimes have a gecko come into our apartment through an open window. Our next video will go into more detail about our cost of living in Malaysia, and then we plan a video about tips for living in Malaysia. Thanks for watching and stay tuned......!
You dont have problems with spiders and creepy bugs in Malaysia homes due to proper fumigation, which you can continue to do after you move in. Cockroaches could be a problem if you dont keep your house clean. Otherwise, that wont be an issue. You only experience that if you live in a jungle area. However most houses and apartments in Malaysia are in developed areas without such issues.
I didn't see any bugs in Malaysia, even in Taman Negara, during an inner jungle experience. We were bitten extremely badly by mosquitoes and black fly in Lac St Jean, Quebec. You need to do your homework , it's a good idea to ask people who have actually been. Which we should have done!
Talking about bugs, you will find the Australian flies are more awful and disturbing, love to go inside the mouth and noses.
We are more than happy to receive you ... be a PR of Malaysia.
Penang is the best place to retire!! I’m a penangite and I love ❤️ it here
I'm agreed with you. Thanks for the compliment for my country, Malaysia.. hopefully you are enjoy staying in Malaysia..you are always welcomed here..