Why Retire in Malaysia?

Old May 9th 2011, 12:17 am
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Default Why Retire in Malaysia?

Sure Malaysia offers a rather attractive policy,Make Malaysia Your Second Home Scheme,but just wondering were there other factors, that enticed you to Malaysia,and not to(for Brits)to say Malta or Spain or Bali for Aussies?

One more question. Do you see yourself spending your twilight years in Malaysia? If so how do you see that will pan out?(age care,if required) Or are you more the type that spends UK winters in the Tropics and back home for the summers,with the intention of doing so while fit enough,but long term intend to reside in UK when/if too feeble to travel?

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Old May 9th 2011, 2:18 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Malta, Spain, no attraction. I was already living in south east Asia and like it here, so made no sense to move back to Europe. Doesn't Spain have some horrible wealth tax? I know of a few expats who have moved to Penang from Spain. They say Penang is a lot cheaper.

MM2H seems like a good scheme to me. I like the fact that you don't have to have medical insurance. They accept a waiver from an insurance company. Some other retirement schemes (Singapore, Australia) insist on med insurance and being healthy. Errr how do you guarantee that in old age?

Yes, hope to spend twilight years here. To me, it makes no sense in going back to "homeland". Our strategy is to possibly have a maid/homehelp in our later years, if we get to the doddery stage, and see how that goes. Keep active and try and keep relatively healthy and there's loads of retirees here, so we can all help each other out a bit. And keep a big pot of cash for future medical expenses.
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Old May 9th 2011, 3:11 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Originally Posted by bakedbean
Malta, Spain, no attraction. I was already living in south east Asia and like it here, so made no sense to move back to Europe. Doesn't Spain have some horrible wealth tax? I know of a few expats who have moved to Penang from Spain. They say Penang is a lot cheaper.

MM2H seems like a good scheme to me. I like the fact that you don't have to have medical insurance. They accept a waiver from an insurance company. Some other retirement schemes (Singapore, Australia) insist on med insurance and being healthy. Errr how do you guarantee that in old age?

Yes, hope to spend twilight years here. To me, it makes no sense in going back to "homeland". Our strategy is to possibly have a maid/homehelp in our later years, if we get to the doddery stage, and see how that goes. Keep active and try and keep relatively healthy and there's loads of retirees here, so we can all help each other out a bit. And keep a big pot of cash for future medical expenses.
Must say that i wasn't aware until relatively recent times that loads of retirees had choosen Penang as a place to be.

Met quite a few in George Town during a few return visits,last being in 04,but they were aged single men on the visa renewal run from Thailand.

Good to hear that there are folk like yourselves there for the long haul and to have an expat community around to look out for one another,makes a lot of sense.
Come to think of it that may well be a negative living outstation,like in Pahang for example,which i started another thread on.

What would be the cost of full hospital and medical cover? Do i recall 450 Ringett,a month being mentioned?

Do you detect an increasing number of folk (retirees)moving in?
Are there any from non traditional source countries,Australia and UK,by which i mean Europeans(any Germans for example )North Americans,perhaps a little too far from home? Although do know a few older single. men that moved to Cambodia and Thailand.Panama more suitable perhaps.

Another thing that interests me about Malaysia is that it is a good place for couples. Having lived in Thailand,i wonder would you rate it as any better on really no difference?
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Old May 9th 2011, 3:51 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

There's some statistics on the MM2H government website. I think it's mm2h.gov.my. Cannot put a link right now, as the website page isn't loading (slow internet today). Of course it doesn't give the big picture, as there are those that don't bother to do MM2H, and who knows how many have left the scheme.

In Penang, I would say that the bulk of retirees (but NOT everyone) live up on the north of Penang (Bt Ferringhi-Tg Bungah-Tg Tokong-Gurney Drive). I've met Brits, Aussies, Canadians, Germans, Dutch, Americans. Some are Malaysian born (Penang Hokkien) and come back to retiree with their partners. But this is a working island too, so lots of locals around. Expats certainly not in the majority.
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Old May 19th 2011, 3:05 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Don't know if I'd choose Penang, as it's getting to be pretty busy and noisy. Plus, I'd love to retire near a beach somewhere, for instance the East Coast.

Places like Air Papan, Tanjung Resang or Penyabong are ideal to retire in. Serene but not too serene, and close enough to towns like Mersing to not feel too remote.

Malaysia does make sense as a retirement location. Affordable, great food, kind-hearted people, lots of wildlife and options for outdoors activities, friendly policies towards retirees, stable and sunny.

Best of all, the language, well bahasa anyway, is quite easy to master.

Malaysia is number 1 on my list of countries to retire in.
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Old May 19th 2011, 4:01 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Hi Bryann. I've not yet got over to the East Coast but it's supposed to be fantastic scenery over there. I met a couple the other day who used to live in Kuantan. They moved to Penang but I think they're considering moving back to Kuantan again. Yup, Penang won't suit everyone, but I like it, at least so far. It really depends what you want out of life.
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Old May 19th 2011, 4:22 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Originally Posted by bryannn
Don't know if I'd choose Penang, as it's getting to be pretty busy and noisy. Plus, I'd love to retire near a beach somewhere, for instance the East Coast.

Places like Air Papan, Tanjung Resang or Penyabong are ideal to retire in. Serene but not too serene, and close enough to towns like Mersing to not feel too remote.

Malaysia does make sense as a retirement location. Affordable, great food, kind-hearted people, lots of wildlife and options for outdoors activities, friendly policies towards retirees, stable and sunny.

Best of all, the language, well bahasa anyway, is quite easy to master.

Malaysia is number 1 on my list of countries to retire in.
Those areas interest me as well. Wouldn't be interested in too much further North though in the states of Trennganu nor Kelantin,although spent time in both a few decades back.

Indeed Bahasa Malayu is rather simplistic to learn at least in speech,reading more complicated though,but a lovely language.

Stayed for quite awile in the eighties in a kampong in Melaka state and really came to appreciate the warmness of the Malay folk.
Great place to home in on language skills and they were so supportive in my efforts to learn.

Just wonder what that area is like for a couple to live? Hopefully more retirees will settle there.
Not too many mind but would be nice to have a few around.
Not sure though how the medical facilities would rate there. Inferior to Penang would be pretty much a certainty.
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Old May 19th 2011, 4:42 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Originally Posted by bakedbean
Hi Bryann. I've not yet got over to the East Coast but it's supposed to be fantastic scenery over there. I met a couple the other day who used to live in Kuantan. They moved to Penang but I think they're considering moving back to Kuantan again. Yup, Penang won't suit everyone, but I like it, at least so far. It really depends what you want out of life.
Kuantan is rather different from Penang. Usually, if you like living in one, you're not to keen to stay in the other and vice versa. Perhaps you could alternate

The Malaysian East Coast is stunning. You can't really grasp the scale of the beauty until you immerse yourself into it, as we did last year. Since then, we're hooked.

That said, Troubadour, I think you're right about medical facilities there. But these should improve quite a bit in the years to come as Malaysia continues developing.

I guess the trick is to find a happy medium between nature/tranquility and logistics/facilities.
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Old May 19th 2011, 5:06 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

There's already a thread on here about Pahang and I think the little blip for most people is that the threshold for foreigners buying property is quite high. Of course you can rent though.
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Old May 19th 2011, 6:11 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Never lived on the East Coast, but have a good friend lives at Cukai and as a town, food, infrastructure and facilities its impressive. The town caters for offshore oil rigs so has to be up to scratch. It has lovely waterways, good sailing, short drives to camping and trekking areas. Its not too far from Kuantan either if thats important.
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Old May 22nd 2011, 5:43 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Originally Posted by the troubadour

One more question. Do you see yourself spending your twilight years in Malaysia?
I seem to be the only one who's answered this question. Anyone else got any thoughts?
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Old May 22nd 2011, 6:08 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Originally Posted by bakedbean
I seem to be the only one who's answered this question. Anyone else got any thoughts?
Indeed not baked bean. I suspect it may be because it is not something many folk really want to think about.

Fine when we are older but still mobile and fit, every where can be an adventure. But frailty in a developing world country far from home and local supports can be not a little daunting i suspect?

What also if the other partner deceases? How does the other manage alone?
Wonder if most folk don't have some sort of bolt hole to be able to go to in their original country of origin?
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Old May 22nd 2011, 7:15 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

It depends where you think of as "home" I guess. For me personally, I think I would fare much better here in Penang than going back to "homeland" UK (which I don't think of as home), and it is something Mr bakedbean and myself have discussed. If you're old and frail and possibly in bad health, the problem remains the same wherever you are.

At least here you can get cheap "home help". Imagine what it would cost in the UK for a full-time maid. The hospitals here seem relatively inexpensive and my friends tell me they are good.

I suppose if you have close relatives elsewhere, then the situation may be different.
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Old May 22nd 2011, 11:48 pm
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Life in the tropics just seems so much more laid-back and comfortable than winters in Europe. I doubt that I'll end up in my home country, in Europe.

In fact, deo volente, I can see us, my girl and me, settling down in Malaysia, which, I'd venture to guess, by then will be at least on the way to being developed, rather than just developing. Hopefuly it'll still have some of the Asian charms that give it enough of an exotic touch to be enjoyable, alluring, interesting.

Being able to speak the language - fluently by then - will make a big difference in our experience I'm sure; as in, more fulfilling, rewarding.

Malaysia boleh
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Old May 23rd 2011, 2:08 am
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Default Re: Why Retire in Malaysia?

Malay is a nice language. I'm currently learning though maybe Hokkien would be of more use in Penang. Hokkien looks quite difficult to me, but may have a go at a later date.
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