Moving to Sarawak
 

Hi Everyone
Hope you all are well. We are looking to be moving to Serian late next year as that's where my wife is from. I am looking for some info of what you can bring with you as in house hold goods as we wish to bring a lot from the UK as the quality seems better and the prices are cheaper here. The Items I'm talking about are fridge freezer,cooker,BBQ and TV's. Gardening equipment, tools and ladders. My wife wants to bring over plants as well, any friendly advise would be helpful.

Thanks Simon.

Re: Moving to Sarawak
 

Dear Simon,

Visit Royal Malaysian Customs Department.
Select Travellers tab, then Tourist Guide, then Import/Export.
You will find a list of prohibited and items requiring permits.
Plants are among those requiring permits.

Any item above RM500 in value (that's five years ago) would be taxed in the case of Peninsular, I'm not sure about Sabah/Sarawak.
Communication items can be a real headache, GPS (and anything wireless) items would require test from another government department (SIRIM),
and pay fees as well. Not cheap, at least RM100 for GPS items.
MM2h visa holders might qualify for exemption, I don't really know. I can only share from my experience, and I only import item piecemeal (not bulk).
Hope that helps.

Re: Moving to Sarawak
 

Well you have to consider the shipping cost and longevity of whatever items you have. Shipping is usually by volume, so if you get a container it doesn't matter how much the weight is. If the items are towards the end of their survivability then you'd simply be taking up volume in the container. The logic about "quality" is strange. Most of the same suppliers (Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Toshiba) for Malaysian appliances are the same as in Britain.
I'd sit down with a couple of Borneo Posts (they have a website where you can look at the classifieds) and see what items are available locally and the prices.
Serian is not a huge town, but there are plenty of malls in Kuching, where you'll do shopping.

All of that stuff care be bought locally, unless you are talking about power mowers, rototillers or something.The plants could pose an issue. One, how do you expect to keep them alive and healthy in shipping? Two, customs regulations are very strict about bringing in non-native plants and animal products. I'd consider bringing in seeds, rather than plants. Maybe some flowers, berries, cherries, any odd varieties of veggies. One thing that's rare here is lettuce, particularly romaine, iceberg or argula. Ton's of cabbage, though. But focus on growing native plants/fruits while you are here. There are even some local pines.

Re: Moving to Sarawak
 

Not true, quality is the same as it is the same brands anyway. A Samsung or LG TV is much cheaper in Malaysia, the only things that is worth to bring is dishwasher, baking oven or induction field.

Re: Moving to Sarawak
 

Dear Simon, In case you haven't consider, you might get those quality things from Singapore. Shipping would be much cheaper too. They use the same UK power rating and plug.

Re: Moving to Sarawak
 

Although there is technically a zero customs fee for MM2H/Sarawak M2H Household goods technically those goods are supposed to have been previously used. I see people coming through the Kuching airport green line all the time with boxes of things from Singapore, though. I brought my semi-new Apple computer through in my checked baggage, and made sure I put some stickers on the back and coffee droplets on the plastic protective sheet. They looked at it in the scanner and waved me through.

Also remember that shipping will take months, you have to (supposedly) inventory every item (including books, DVD's and CD's) by title. I'm a book & record collector and have thousands of each...I'm going nuts making a list.