leglessfool

Yes good question, I would like to know the answer to that too. I have met lots of foreign women in Penang on my frequent trips there.

katongkaren

Yes that was a bit provocative wasn't it, and I may well have to eat my words. Hey I don't mind doing a u-turn

Well I'll tell you where I was coming from with this statement anyway. A couple of years ago, I was doing a LOT of research on Penang as we were thinking of retiring there. We actually ended up in Thailand, main reason being there were some big advantages in us being in a non-Commonwealth country (no, we're not fugitives and we've paid all our taxes, if that's what you lot are thinking). Don't really want to go into personal details on here, though I'll gladly PM if anyone's particularly nosey.

I really liked a lot of what I read about Penang - the infrastructure, hospitals, etc and been told that it's like Singapore 20 years ago - don't know if that is true. What really made me shudder was the crime there at that time - and I mean some hideous crimes towards western women, Chinese women, older women - all reported on online newspapers. Please don't get me wrong - I know Thailand has plenty of crime too.

As I said, this was a couple of years ago. I've just done some pertinent googles and can't find anything similar on the newspapers now. Has there been a big improvement in crime figures there? Is it a lot to do with the fact that Penang is basically now run by Chinese Malaysians? I'd love to know.

Anyway, that's my explanation.

BTW, apologies to the OP for digressing yet again. Legless, Dreamer - what do you think about opening up a separate Penang thread? Maybe reply to my comments on a new thread? I would very much like to know what Penang is like these days. (Always looking for retirement Plan B ideas folks.)

leglessfool

[QUOTE=katongkaren;7362657]Yes that was a bit provocative wasn't it, and I may well have to eat my words. Hey I don't mind doing a u-turn

Hi katongkaren,
The reason that I would like to move to Penang is because it is very safe and the people there are much nicer than the Thais. The reason that I think that I like Penang so much is that it reminds me of the good Singapore 35 years ago when I lived there, it is mainly run by Chinese people and it is very nice and oriental in an old-worldly kind of way, which is just what I like about it

I would like a Penang thread on here, but I am new on here and I don't really know how to start one yet

katongkaren

I've started one - follow link below...

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=596569

Kooky.

edit: oops I will move this to the new thread

Umpatan

You see, both Malaysia and Germany does NOT allow dual citizenship. Of course, the logical thing to do is take the better passport and take the German one. Now if you are British, perhaps your children who will ONLY be able to choose either a British or a German passport should opt a British one. Why this is is because with a British passport, you can go work in Germany as an EU member, and should you acquire further nationalities, you could do so without losing your British one. Also, Germany requires one to do military service, so avoiding a German one would be smart should you have a boy together. Your children should return to the UK to have their children or otherwise, they will not be British citizens, but only gain the right of abode should your children be born abroad. This is not the end of the world if they have their grandchildren in the developed world, but you wouldn't want them to be only a Malaysian citizen would you? I think not. (No disrespect to Malaysians, as I enjoyed the cheap Nasi Chai and Nasi Goren for 1 Ringgit each. It is a great place to retire.

Foxy_fromCanada

Are you sure about that? I've got a friend who holds dual citizenship with Germany and Canada...

TheDreamer

So Malaysia is a good place to retire to afterall, even though one may have one of his hands chopped off!


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susanmcorless

Hi there,

I have very similiar questions to yours, what did you decide to do in the end, where are you looking at moving to - have you moved and did you find the answers to your questions?

thanks!!
Susan

AussieDreamin

I feel safer in Bangkok than KL.

I couldn't live in a country which is run by a mob that discriminates against it's large minorities either.

Kooky.

Have to agree with you there, AD. I think the country is going backwards.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/muslim-m...0721-drn4.html

Bikbergen

[QUOTE=leglessfool;7362683] Legless,

Looks to me like you've been smitten by SE Asia, like so many expats who grew up in Singapore/Malaysia there it crept in to your blood.

I was born in Singapore in '62 and spent my first ten years there, it was a very different place then, not as built up, but it was also a very different time in history....

Penang as a place reminded me of the old Singapore as well, but times have changed.

Case in point being the E&O. The Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang was a lavish (Sister Hotel of the Raffles in Singapore) hotel and attracted a lot of glamorous guests during the days of the British Empire. The scene and society in George Town was a very different one back then. My wife and I visited the E&O two years ago and we stayed in one of the writers suites. What became very obvious to us was that the E&O seemed very out of place in today’s George Town, the whole area around it has become run down and you could describe certain parts as seedy. I don't think it will last in its present shape and form as it can no longer attract the rich and famous it needs to sustain itself.

It really saddened me that so many of the old buildings are being run down, maintenance is non-existent in Penang for many complicated reasons.

There is a expat community in Penang, mainly consisting of retirees.

I looked in to the whole program that the Malaysians offer, a couple of years ago but I didn't find it appealing.

Instead of moving there from London, my wife and I just visit Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand for a month every year. My wife who is English and not born or raised in SE Asia, rates Singapore as the best of the three to live, then Thailand and then Malaysia, which would be predictable as she feels slightly alienated by the Muslim culture of Malaysia. I would put Malaysia second after Singapore and Thailand in third place as I'm not as intimidated by the Muslim culture.

Crime is a relative thing, you should always be aware that you will stand out as a foreigner in SE Asia if you are a white European, you should behave with extra care and regard to the culture of the country that you visit and/or live in. I can sometimes see a certain resentment in some of the eyes of Malaysian people that I come across but overall I would say that most Malaysian people, especially the younger generation, are very friendly towards foreigners.

I can understand that some people have difficulty with the Muslim culture and its restrictions but I personally find the whole sex industry, especially when it comes to children, reprehensible.
Unfortunately its not just limited to the capital, Bangkok, its present in most of the popular beach resorts as well. I don't blame the Thai people for this, its us Europeans who are to blame.

At any rate, it makes Malaysia a lot more attractive to me as a whole.

As a people I like all three the Chinese, Malaysians and Thai, you just have to take them at face value.

I suppose I would recommend Penang and other parts of Malaysia as a place to settle if you are close to retirement age, mainly as Malaysia is a commonwealth country and they are particularly friendly towards the Brits.

Just my 2 pence.......

bakedbean

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Adventure

From what we hear from Expats friends now living in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia is not 'virtually without crime' .The have been many many case of robbery & rapes & snatch thieves mostly indonesian migrants men operating in cars & motorbikes and there have been several cases of deaths resulting in these hideous crimes a huge majority of victims are from the minority races.
The police 99.9 percent are of muslim malays seem not to act against these murderous thieves !
There have been a total of 1803 deaths in police custody of minority races since mahathir came to power on his anti -non muslim,non-malay policy !
A truly staggering statistics.
Malaysia operate a sort of 'Discrimination policy against its minority races -in government & public institution jobs, banks, scholarships ,housing etc all started by its previous prime minister Mahathir.
The current Prime Minister Razak and his Home Minister a young man is doing their best to make malaysia a safer place and have place eliminating snatch thieves,robbers & rapists one of their goals.
The current Govt. is seen to be reaching out to the non malays to try to win their support in view of recent defeats in elections by an emerging strong opposition party.
Malaysian people are peaceful and friendly but sadly its politics and corruption and its Discrimination policy against ethnic Chinese & Indians is hurting the good image of the Country.

Adventure

Malaysia operate a Discrimination policy against its minority races-it its only one of 3 Countries in the world where the Majority bullies the minority.
Most victims of crime are fr minority races and the police who are majority muslim malays seem not to act or stop these crimes of snatch thiefs,rapists and robbers & murderers !
There have been over a thousand deaths in police custody of ethnic minorities esp fr Indians and immigrants since their Prime Minister a man name Mahatir -a muslim convert of indian origin came to power on an anti non-muslim, non-malay policy.
The malaysians are gentle,polite and peaceful but their politics stinks !