British Expats

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)
-   Malaysia (https://britishexpats.com/forum/malaysia-148/)
-   -   Hello to everyone... just joined (https://britishexpats.com/forum/malaysia-148/hello-everyone-just-joined-878108/)

LuzantCalifornia May 29th 2016 12:56 am

Hello to everyone... just joined
 
Hello everyone-

My user name is Luzant and I've just joined this information rich forum. I am an American citizen and a high tech professional from Silicon Valley and in the final phases of accepting an executive position for an American company in Singapore. Here is my plan and I'd love to hear your advice and guidance.

1. The job is based in Singapore but requires travel across Asia...meaning, on average I'll spend 1-2 (but flexible on time) day a week in Singapore, 2 days working from home Singapore or Malaysia and rest of the time traveling within Asia or back to California. And the ratio of traveling vs. Working in Singapore will vary week to week.

2. Company will provide housing in Singapore for at least 6 months...but after that time, I'd like to move to Nusajaya area (2nd link) and rent a highrise condo with the fastest internet possible.

3. I qualify for and interested in obtaining the MM2H visa. I like the Malaysian culture, and spent time in KL and Penang as a technology strategy advisor to the State and Federal govt. My plan, when retired split time between California (less than 180 days for Ca tax purposes) and rest of the Asia from Malaysia...using both Air Asia and Sing Air.

4. I am a divorced single with a daughter in college in California, but I might bring my 15 year old son to experience private schools in Singapore or Malaysia for a year or two and attend from home in Nusajaya. I am looking into SAS or Marlborough College...but we have to decide between the American or British system.

5. Although Malaysia is a Muslim country...I am a wine buff...and have a good collection of French, Italian and American wines. I don't need to eat "pork" products but I love wine.

Now here are my questions...

- With my work schedule is it possible to maintain a worry free life style if I live in MY and work in SG?
- I lived in UK, France, Brasil and the USA but never lived in an Asian and/or Muslim country...am I going to subject myself for "public caning"?
- Oh, I plan to purchase a car under MM2H program...is there any hassle I should be aware of?
- Being single, I prefer to have a live in/live out helper...preferably Thai (food) or Philippina (language)...it would be fantastic if she can do grocery shopping and/or drive a car.
- Which highrise buildings I should be looking into for rental...living in California I am comfortable between RM 6000 and sub RM10,000/month.

I guess that's all for now...If I've missed anything I'd grateful if you point it out.

Thank you again....Best....

JC3 May 29th 2016 3:34 am

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 

Originally Posted by LuzantCalifornia (Post 11958701)
Hello everyone-

My user name is Luzant and I've just joined this information rich forum. Now here are my questions...

I plan to purchase a car under MM2H program...is there any hassle I should be aware of?
.


Hi Luzant and a warm welcome to the Malaysia Forum.

Wow, lots of questions there!
I'll chip in on your MM2H car question


When buying an MM2H car, the main things to be aware of are:

You must apply to purchase your car within 12 months from the date you receive your MM2H Pass.

If you buy a car here in Malaysia (rather than import one) the car you buy needs to be a locally assembled car (including foreign brands) in Malaysia, in order for it to be exempted from payment of excise duty and sales tax.

At purchase you will save about 30% of the purchase price.

You can only sell the car after two years.

A car that was exempted from taxes and duties under the MM2H program can be sold (or its ownership transferred) provided the prevailing taxes and duties on the car have been paid prior to the transaction. What this means is that part of the tax and duty you originally saved must be repaid when you sell the car. The amount you have to repay reduces roughly in line with deprecation on the car. It's easier to think of the original tax saving as an interest free loan, part of which part will need to be repaid when you sell the car.

For example, if you bought a car (under the MM2H scheme) that normally costs RM150,000, saved RM50,000 in excise duty and sales tax, and actually paid only RM100,000, then sold your car five years later for say RM 75,000 (50% of its original price) you would then need to repay about RM25,000 (50%) of the tax and duty you originally saved.

I don't think there's any great hassle, only that the saving you make originally isn't as great as it first appears, because you must repay some of it eventually.

JC3

JC3 May 29th 2016 4:05 am

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 

Originally Posted by LuzantCalifornia (Post 11958701)

Although Malaysia is a Muslim country...I am a wine buff...and have a good collection of French, Italian and American wines. I don't need to eat "pork" products but I love wine.

Now here are my questions...

- I ...never lived in an Asian and/or Muslim country...am I going to subject myself for "public caning"?

Hi Luzant,

Whilst Malays are not permitted to drink alcohol, it is widely available in Wine Merchants, Supermarkets and (non-halal) Restaurants, Bars etc. for others to enjoy. But wine is comparatively expensive here. Pork is also widely available.

According to the 2010 census, the major ethnic groups in Kuala Lumpur are:
•Malays: 44.2%
•Chinese: 43.2%
•Indians: 10.3%
•Other: 1.8%

And the Chinese, Indians and others love a drink.

So buying wine is easy. But you may have more difficulty importing your wine collection. It’s possible, but not recommended. Here’s a document published by FIDI (the Voice of the International Moving Industry) that may be useful - it describes the customs regs in Malaysia:

http://taylorinternational.ca/docs/c...a/malaysia.pdf

The following is a decent wine shop where I live in Penang:

http://www.thewineshoppg.com.my/wine...4&label_ID=142

The website should give you a rough idea of wine prices in Malaysia.

Don't worry no public caning for you.

That’s it for now, getting thirsty!

JC3

SushiFan May 29th 2016 6:04 am

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 

Originally Posted by LuzantCalifornia (Post 11958701)
3. I qualify for and interested in obtaining the MM2H visa. I like the Malaysian culture, and spent time in KL and Penang as a technology strategy advisor to the State and Federal govt. My plan, when retired split time between California (less than 180 days for Ca tax purposes) and rest of the Asia from Malaysia...using both Air Asia and Sing Air.

Welcome to the forum, Luzant!

Make sure that your position and headcount is not placed in a Malaysian subsidiary of your company, but either in their USA or Singapore subsidiary (or HQ). If it is placed in their Malaysian subsidiary could you get into trouble as your MM2H would not allow you to have such a full time job.

ex reg May 29th 2016 7:24 am

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 
IMO one answer will cover all your questions and make your life easier.

Live in Singapore.

teejaydee May 29th 2016 7:40 am

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 

Originally Posted by ex reg (Post 11958829)
IMO one answer will cover all your questions and make your life easier.

Live in Singapore.

Exactly. And when retired, move to Malaysia.

SushiFan May 29th 2016 8:11 am

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 

Originally Posted by ex reg (Post 11958829)
IMO one answer will cover all your questions and make your life easier.

Live in Singapore.

Probably this is the easy and "low-hassle" route to take. Unless you want to live in Malaysia for tax reasons, or some other specific reasons.

bakedbean May 29th 2016 9:29 am

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 
Hello and welcome to the forum :wave:

I'm with Ex-Reg and TeeJayDee on this. Your company is providing housing for at least six months. I would be inclined to take that, get settled, and get to know Singapore.

Once you're settled in, you may like to check out Nusajaya, or KL, or Penang, and really get to know the places. But...you're on your own, you're going to be travelling, working hard no doubt. You won't have the time to suss out Malaysia and all the little wrinkles about life here. Get settled first.

As JC3 says, booze and pork is not an issue, at least not in Penang which is majority Chinese.

If you are working in Singapore, that will then simplify things for obtaining MM2H visa, if that is what you want to do retirement-wise.

We have a whole section on the forum about MM2H where you can find lots of existing topics about various issues relating to the visa. You can follow this link below:
Retirement and MM2H - British Expats

eCdD May 30th 2016 8:01 am

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 

Originally Posted by LuzantCalifornia (Post 11958701)
- Which highrise buildings I should be looking into for rental...living in California I am comfortable between RM 6000 and sub RM10,000/month.

Sorry, we cannot provide this, so I agree with ex reg, you have to stay in Singapore to meet your criteria. Even the most expensive luxury apartment in KL does not exceed 5000 RM. In the state I live it is not possible to pay more than 3000 RM :lol:

teejaydee May 30th 2016 8:07 am

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 

Originally Posted by eCdD (Post 11959529)
In the state I live it is not possible to pay more than 3000 RM :lol:

That must be disappointing for you ;).

JC3 May 30th 2016 12:25 pm

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 

Originally Posted by eCdD (Post 11959529)
...Even the most expensive luxury apartment in KL does not exceed 5000 RM.

...but you will find plenty of Condos/Serviced Residences for rent in Kuala Lumpur for RM 5,000+ per month.
For example there's over 9,000 of them listed on iProperty Group. That said no doubt some will be listed multiple times, no longer be available etc.

JC3

eCdD May 30th 2016 1:12 pm

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 
OK, I have seen some of the super high end serviced apartments directly next to KLCC the most expensive ones go for 4000. Of cause it is possible that there are some duplexes and that some people just try to ask for "special prices" because they know anyway a company will pay for it.

SushiFan May 30th 2016 1:40 pm

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 
Come to Penang, enough choice if you want to spend RM 9,000 or more per month on rent.

geedee May 30th 2016 4:01 pm

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 
If your son is 15 it's getting "exam critical'... better stay in the US system and go to Stanford. Marlborough is British, through and through.
If you go for Stanford, living in Nusajaya will be a pain in the butt. You will be enduring peak traffic into and out of Singapore. Don't do it! Your Son will hate you for it :-)
There is a possible option of Raffles American College which is in Nusajaya...you might want to look into that.

Cheers.

LuzantCalifornia May 30th 2016 7:41 pm

Re: Hello to everyone... just joined
 
Wow.wow.wow...what a wealth of information, insights and sage advice. Thank you so very much. Ok, let me clarify couple of things...
- The Sing based tax advisor suggested it would be beneficial to be under MM2H...live in Malaysia and work in Singapore...as I am an American and Singapore does not have a Double Taxation Treaty with the USA.
- The rental amount I was indicating is based on what I think the company may "pay" but we have not discussed beyond 6 months yet...it is under negotiation.
- Yes the headcount is in Singapore...but I am free to live anywhere...e.g Thailand to Hong Kong etc.
- I am grateful for the suggestion of Raffles and Stamford. My ex-wife and I haven't finalize "yet" if she is OK with taking my son with me. He is in a great school in Palo Alto (next to Google Campus)....but I wanted to get him exposed to Asian culture. Yes, if he comes with me then I'll definitely choose a location convenient for him attending school.
- Finally. I have spent some time in both Singapore and Malaysia. I feel somewhat "suffocated" with regimented life in Singapore...personally, I love Thailand...but it is too far...and since I qualify for MM2H, Malaysia especially Johor is a compromise as well as access to KL, Johor and Changi airports....as I'll be traveling about 50% of the time. Hope it clarifies.

I am again so grateful for all your responses. As I get closer to finalize the agreement, I'll ask for your advice and insights again. Thanks


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