Margaret Kirkcaldy

Hello, Topic: Moving from Scotland to Malaysia (UK expats)

I have been advised that my MM2H form has been approved and that I will
receive an email copy this week.

These may be basic questions but I am going around in circles trying to find information.

I have looked at various places on the internet at recommendations and Pickfords Movers are high on the comments. However, I am not getting far with the contact for international movers.

My questions are:

- do I need a customs form for my shipment of household effects - the Pickford person I am emailing says No but I think this is odd as I needed a
customs form to bring my household items from Canada to UK

- if there is a charge for electrical items ie. sewing machines, kettles, etc
what is the fee for bringing these items - if the fee is too high I may want
to leave items behind - I was not able to get any details from Pickford expect a reference to a very general Malaysia government customs page.

- the Malaysia government site - hard to follow - says no food items - does this include in particular Japanese tea, spices?

- does the Japanese customs actually open every box and go through it?
My boxes from Canada to UK arrived in the pallet at my door and the pallet
had to be opened to take the boxes out - the boxes had never been touched.

I expect to find a rental place somewhere in Penang when I come to obtain
my final documents. I hope to fly over and stay there, find a place to live and then forward a copy of my visa/passport pages by email scan back to the moving company (possibly Pickfords) to then forward my household items over.

I have seen comments on the internet that theft is common. Are there any
tips to protect my belongings from being stolen en route - the Malaysian
end is my concern not the UK end.

Any information would be appreciated. Thank you. Margaret
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Margaret Kirkcaldy

I made an error - I meant Malaysian customs in this sentence

does the Malaysian customs actually open every box and go through it?
My boxes from Canada to UK arrived in the pallet at my door and the pallet
had to be opened to take the boxes out - the boxes had never been touched.

Margaret Kirkcaldy

I made an error - I meant Malaysian customs in this sentence

does the Malaysian customs actually open every box and go through it?
My boxes from Canada to UK arrived in the pallet at my door and the pallet
had to be opened to take the boxes out - the boxes had never been touched.

bakedbean

Hello Margaret and Welcome to the forum

I've shifted your posts out to your own topic, as I think you meant to do that? Hope that is correct. New forums need a bit of getting used to, don't they, but you will get the hang of it I'm sure.

I presume you are in contact with Pickfords in the UK? They should be advising you of everything if you have agreed to use them. Yes, they have a good reputation. I have used them within Penang (not international) and they were excellent. Probably the best we have used so far in our many moves. They are not cheap though.

If forms are filled out correctly, it is unlikely that Customs will go through. I think you will need to send them a copy of your MM2H visa. That will ensure that your goods will come in tax-free, and should smooth everything along.

Why do you think there will be a charge for electrical items? If you have MM2H, all used items will come in tax-free.

Yes, I think foodstuffs will not be allowed. Best to use them up. There are loads of supermarkets, food shops, specialist food shops in Penang. You will not starve :-)

bakedbean

Just re-read your posts. I see that you will organize the move from this end (Penang). I think I still have contact info for the lady at Pickfords in Penang, so I'll try and dig that out and send to you by PM (private message).

Any more questions, you can start a new topic in Malaysia forum, or simply add to this topic. Look for the little blue box at bottom left of this page marked "New Reply". Hit that button, then off you go.

oh....almost forgot.... Congratulations on getting approval for the MM2H visa.

JC3

Hi Margaret,

We used Pickfords to move our household goods from England to Malaysia door to door.
Everything was export wrapped and arrived unopened with no damage, and nothing stolen. Note that with Pickfords, it is Pickfords that you will be using at both ends - UK and Malaysia.

Pickfords gave us a FIDI Global Alliance Form for Malaysia which explains what you can / cannot import, customs duty etc.
See a similar one here: www.santaferelo.com/customsguides/Malaysia.pdf

In general, you are not permitted to bring in food, but I don't think Malaysian Customs would be bothered by your tea and spices in reasonable quantity, if they discovered it. Just don't write 'food' on the packing list or on the box Pickfords pack it in.

- do I need a customs form for my shipment of household effects?
YES. PICKFORDS SHOULD PREPARE THIS FOR YOU

- if there is a charge for electrical items ie. sewing machines, kettles, etc
NO. EXCEPT FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT

- does the Malaysia customs actually open every box and go through it?
UNLIKELY IF YOU USE PICKFORDS

Are there any tips to protect my belongings from being stolen en route - the Malaysian end is my concern not the UK end.
USE PICKFORDS. THEY ARE MORE EXPENSIVE BUT YOU'RE UNLIKELY TO GET ANYTHING STOLEN.
BRING YOUR SMALL VALUABLES IN YOUR HAND LUGGAGE.

Hope this helps a bit

JC3

Margaret Kirkcaldy

Hi Baked bean,

Thanks for your response.

Regarding food: I was thinking of my husband's collection of spices. he does a lot of curries and other spicy foods and has about £200 worth of whole spices. We have now given up on the idea of bring them with us to Malaysia. We brought about 3 cubic feet (in boxes) of spices from Canada to the UK with no issues but one mover we have consulted (Interdean) told us the Malaysians are very paranoid about drug trafficking, so bringing any sort of spices is probably not a good idea, since they may presume we are smuggling ganja or something! We will probably give the spices to the bloke at the Indian take-out/pizza shop down the road as I am sure he can use them.

Why do I think there would be a charge for electrical items? See: www.santaferelo.com/customsguides/Malaysia.pdf whicame courtesy of JC3 posting above. (Thanks JC3!) It says in the PDF that a permit is required to import electrical goods and where there is a permit required there is usually a fee required. I am still having trouble getting a definitive answer to some of these questions from the movers I am consulting with.

Margaret Kirkcaldy

Hi JC3,

Thanks for your response and the link to the import guide for Malaysia.

Regarding Pickford's and the customs form: I dealt with a very nice woman on the phone at Pickford's who then referred me to their man who was supposedly able to answer my questions regarding moving to Malaysia. He answered my question about permits by referring me to a link which I couldn't use because it was a pay site for subscribers. He told me I didn't need to fill out a customs form and referred me to Pickford's home page. After searching through the links on the home page, I found another page which stated that a Form K1 had to be filled out.

To put it tactfully: The gentleman in question did NOT inspire confidence in regards to his expertise! >

Regarding telecommunications equipment: Yes, I am told by Interdean Movers that importing telecommunications equipment does require a permit. I have a printer/copier/scanner/fax machine which I would like to bring with me but I am told that this will delay my shipment and it could take up to 3 months to receive my things! I can buy the same machine for 3 times what it cost me to buy one in the UK (about £1,000 GBP). Paying for a permit doesn't bother me but a wait of up to 3 months for my household goods is very inconvenient.

This is the sort of bureaucratic nonsense that I find very frustrating. Why all the fuss for a fax machine? This regulation also means that it is too much bother to bring telephones as well but I can replace a telephone in Malaysia for £25 GBP.

I am finding this move to be very frustrating compared to moving from Canada to the UK. In that move the only issue I had was that the movers refused to carry glues and aerosol containers (items I used for crafts). All I did with those was to give them to a friend who did crafts and the problem was solved. I was out perhaps £50 for glue and spray starch and so forth - no great loss.

I will try to sell the printer but I doubt it will be an easy matter and I will probably have to just give it away. I gave away the same machine when I left Canada as well. next time, I think I will buy a cheaper printer! LOL!

Scuba Tyke

If it helps we used Freightworld about 4 years ago to move a small amount of household goods to Malaysia from Fife. The move went smoothly, no problems with customs. Didn't include spices or electrical goods though.

Freightworld shipping overseas removals, abroad, Seafreight, Airfreight, Courier
Tel. 0114 285 2777

bakedbean

Don't understand the bit about telecoms equipment. We brought in phones, fax machine, all sorts of electrical.

Bluenose1

We brought phones and a combined printer/copier/fax machine in as well. Just don'e list them individually in the inventory. Provided your goods are export wrapped and you use a well-known shipper (if Pickfords, then there should be no problem) then they usually won't be opened.

Incidentally, BB, did you manage to get your phones to work? Ours don't, but I haven't gone into it in any detail as to why. Something to do with the actual phone jack I believe.

bakedbean

Most of our old phones are lying in a cupboard somewhere

Strangely, in our condo unit, there are only 2 phone points, and it's not a titchy flat, so we've only got one cordless phone functioning in the lounge area. Yep, it works OK. Have had various ongoing issues with TM over the years...but that's another story. (Actually several stories)

Margaret Kirkcaldy

Well, I clarified the situation for importing goods under MM2H by calling Malaysian customs office. The gentleman there told me there was no tax or duty whatsoever to be paid on any household effects imported under an MM2H visa. As far as my silverware goes he told me specifically that it didn't matter what your teapot was made out of, regardless of whether it was made of ceramic or silver, that it was NOT subject to tax if you have an MM2H visa.

The only special requirement was in regards to electrical goods, which do require an import permit but there was no fee for that and my shipper should take care of that for me.

As soon as I was off the phone with Malaysian customs, an email came in from the gentleman I have been dealing with at Pickford's telling me that that there will be no tax or duty due on my household goods!

My fax machine will be boxed up and labelled "computer printer" but with what I have been told now, I don't think there will be any issues with fax machines or telephones as long as they are not imported for resale or commercial purposes.

So that clarifies the matter for me.

bakedbean

As mentioned in post #4 on here.