JC3

Hi,

This is for Lynstu and other newbies planning to move to Malaysia. Please feel free to add to the list!

Here’s a few tips if you are planning to move to Malaysia permanently, such as on an MM2H visa.

1. UK Driving Licence
As the law in Malaysia currently stands, there is no need to obtain an IDP. You will be able to drive using your UK Driving Licence.
But, depending on:
a) how long you intend to live in Malaysia, and
b) how much longer the photo on your licence remains valid (the maximum is 10 years).
you may want to think about getting a new UK licence (with an up to date photo) before you leave the UK so that it will be valid for the full ten years.
This is because if you decide not to get a Malaysian licence and to only use your UK licence in Malaysia, you may find that your UK licence is invalid in the UK when you’re back on a visit because your photo (not the licence itself) has expired.
A few things to note:
• UK driving licences are address based, and only can only carry your UK address.
• If you apply for a new photocard licence, the DVLA will only send it to the UK address shown on the licence.
• If you’re moving abroad, you can’t register your new overseas address on your UK driving licence.
• The DVLA won’t renew your photo-ID whilst you are living abroad.
• To apply for a UK driving licence, you must be normally resident in the UK for more than 185 days, and declare that you are resident in the UK
• It is a criminal offence to make a false declaration to get a UK driving licence, doing so can lead to a prosecution and a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment.
This all gets complicated from Malaysia, it’s probably better to sort it out before you leave the UK.

2. Health Insurance
If you will be buying private medical insurance in Malaysia it’s a good idea to get a copy of your medical records from your UK GP before you leave. The insurer here will want full details if you’ve had any serious health issues. Also quite a few local health insurers won’t accept you once you turn 61, so if you’re 60 already do the research early.

3. Car Insurance
Get a copy of your No Claims Bonus before you leave the UK. It will be valid in Malaysia.

4. Post
If you plan to move to Penang and are visiting beforehand, it’s worthwhile opening a PO BOX at the General Post Office on Downing Street in Georgetown whilst you are here. Then you will have a forwarding address for your UK post from the get go. It’s very cheap to do.

5. Rent or Buy a property.
Definitely rent first. Rental is very cheap (excess supply) and there is a lot to learn. Note that if you buy a property, it takes up to 6 months to get the keys from the date that you sign the Sale & Purchase Agreement (SPA) – even for ‘second-hand’ property. Much longer than in the UK. This probably means that you will be renting for more than a year initially, so if you take a fixed one year lease initially, make sure you add to your tenancy agreement the option to continue thereafter - ideally on a more flexible monthly or quarterly basis in year two.

6. MM2H Conditional Approval Letter
[/B]This letter seems to carry ‘more weight’ with banks, utility companies etc. than the actual visa stamped in your passport later on. So look after it!

7. MM2H Staff
Don't be scared. They're on your side! Generally very helpful if you call them. But they rarely respond to emails.


Good luck!

JC3

NeonHippy

Thank you JC3. Another good summary can be found here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-malaysia
In particular note the need to get a certificate from the UK so you can exchange your licence and the limitation of only being able to use the UK licence for 3 months. If you fancy a drive over the border into Thailand before you have your Malaysian licence then an IDP is required.

I would also add that you need to complete form P85 to notify HMRC that you have left and form DT-Individual to get the tax back on your pension.

InVinoVeritas

Just a slight correction here, your UK licence it not actually exchanged, you will get it back.

For other EC countries, a driving licence translation will be required and a certificate of validity is not always available nor necessary.

themajor

Can you advise what the average price for rent is A) 2 bed apt B)3 bed apt C)2 bed villa
D)3 bed villa.

What is the tax situation on Old age pensioner on full UK pension.

How much does Electric, water and rates cost.

Thanking you in advance.

JC3

Hi NeonHippy,

Thanks for the link.

Follow through to the Malaysia JPJ website (from www.gov.uk) and then go to the relevant page: Portal Rasmi Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan Malaysia and you’ll see the three month thing is something of a red herring. Frankly, I think it's more of a UK government 'like to have' than a Malaysian government 'must have'.

On the JPJ website, it states:

Section 28 of the Road Transport Act (APJ) 1987, states that "a driving license issued under the corresponding provisions of any law in force in any State which is a party to a treaty to which Malaysia is also a party and purporting to recognize domestic driving licenses issued by the contracting countries shall, so long as the license remains in force in that State, be deemed to be a driving license granted under this Part. "Pursuant to Section 28 of the Road Transport Act 1987, as mentioned above, the holder of a foreign country's driving license can drive in this country as long as the foreign domestic driving license is still valid, and is accompanied by a translation in Bahasa Inggeris or Malay (where the license is in a language other than Bahasa Inggeris or Malay), which is confirmed by the embassy of the country of origin in Malaysia, or by the authority issuing the driving license concerned.

In this regard, a foreign citizen is not required to hold a Malaysian driver's license to drive in Malaysia.

In addition, foreign nationals who want to drive in this country also have the option to use an International Driving Permit (International Driving Permit, IDP) issued by the country concerned before entering Malaysia.
Driving licenses from the countries listed below are recognized and can be used for driving in Malaysia subject to regulations under the Road Transport Act 1987: (the list includes the UK).

Indeed if you lived in Malaysia on the MM2H programme as well as in the UK, why would you bother with a Malaysian driving licence?

My experience when stopped by the police here was that they accepted my UK driving licence without question. Same goes for the car insurance company.

It only gets a bit tricky if you don’t have a valid UK address that appears on your UK driving licence. But that’s usually surmountable.

All that said, if you do want a Malaysian driving licence, if you join the AAM (Malaysia’s AA), it will do the necessary for you for just a few ringgit.

JC3

JC3

Hello Major,

I suggest you take a look at Cost of Living which will allow you to do a rough cost of living comparison between Cyprus and Malaysia.

A 3 bed villa will cost from about RM3,000 upwards a month to rent on Penang island. See iproperty.com which will give you more of an idea by city / region.

We live on Penang island in a house.

Water & sewerage costs less than RM20 a month. Yes really. The price of water hasn't increased for 30 years or more.

Electricity costs us about RM250 a month. More if we use the aircon a lot.

Rates cost - I can't remember, but I would if it was expensive!

In general terms in Malaysia you do not pay income tax on overseas income. Your UK state pension would be taxed in the UK if your UK income exceeds your personal allowance.

The Malaysia Ringgit has tanked recently from around RM5 to the pound to RM6.60. I am only guessing but think it has further to fall before re-bounding in a year or two, so I would suggest RM5 to the pound might be a better figure to use for budgeting purposes.

JC3

themajor

Thank you so much for the excellent info. Here is my next question.

Can you give prices for 4* Hotels during August in Penang and what would the weather be like then. Also in your opinion what time of the year is best to visit.

JC3

Hello Major,

You can see the average weather conditions for Penang here:
BBC Weather - Penang International Airport

In Penang, it’s driest from December to April, and it can rain a lot in September/October.

July and August is a very popular time for Arabs from the Middle East to visit – especially the beach hotels. It can feel a bit strange when they outnumber westerners and locals at an hotel.

I suggest avoiding Malaysian public holidays and school holidays when the beach hotels are at their busiest.

At Batu Ferringhi (the beach) the best four star hotels are the Golden Sands (Shangri-la group), the Park Royal and the Holiday Inn. In that order. I suggest you check prices on Agoda.com: Smarter Hotel Booking.

There’s also the Hard Rock which is a good hotel, but in my view is best for families with young children and the younger generation. It's noisy there!

My pick would be the Golden Sands but choose a seaview room not a hillview room – the hillview rooms face a small mosque that could wake you up rather early!

If you can afford it, plump for the 5* Rasa Sayang (also Shangri-La Group) - it's the pick of the crop. Personally I think the Garden Wing rooms (newly refurbished) are the best bet. Higher floors above the tree line (on the 7th & 8th floors) have the best views.

Between Batu Ferringhi and George Town there is a Sheraton Four Points hotel, also on a beach, and good value, but there’s not much in the immediate vicinity. There’s plenty of hotel options in George Town itself too.

JC3

themajor

Once again thanks for the inf. Plenty to mull over for the future.

InVinoVeritas

There's also Lone Pine in BF which is not bad and a tad cheaper.

As a matter of interest Major, why you are thinking of leaving Cyprus for Malaysia?

themajor

Many moons ago I served with the Army in Malaya and Borneo. I am thinking it just might be a nice place to live if not go for a hiliday anyway to see what has changed.

I am a bit old in the tooth now so would probably not move, however who knows what the future will hold and of course ........My wife would have a lot to say about it as well.

InVinoVeritas

I know a few people who are contemplating doing the opposite and moving to Cyprus so it would be interesting, later on, to hear your views on the relative merits of the two places. It is in the nature of the expat to be on the lookout for other options and, of course, nothing stays the same for very long these days. As retirees, we also represent a valuable commodity for those countries looking for immigrants who are spending rather than depending!

Gunnar45

To continue on the driving license topic, in addition to facilitate issues with insurance companies in case of accidents, I believe that a Malaysian driving license is an approved ID document in Malaysia so it would spare you the hassle of having to carry the passport with you.
(I don't do this but I think that formally one is required to always carry an acceptable ID.)

InVinoVeritas

Apparently it has been agreed for MM2H'ers that a photocopy of the passport is sufficient, most of us have used copy shops to reduce it down to credit card size and laminate it. You can include the MM2H visa on the reverse.

JC3

Yes the Lone Pone is another alternative with more of a boutique feel to it.
But overpriced for what it is I think, and I would struggle to recommend the Bungalow restaurant there - very poor breakfast. Especially compared to the Rasa Sayang - truly excellent breakfast there!
JC3