Giving it up & going Back

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rjnpenang mentions spending winters in spain because of health service.Does this mean that the health service in spain is better than Malaysia.What is your opinion of MY health service concering things like specialist treatment for things like type 2 diabetes,hi blood pressure etc.
many thanks siskin

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I have been told by my Penang friends that the health service in Ppenang is excellent.His brother had ballooning done and he is very pleased with his treatment and after care.However, on another website www.penangpassion.com there are some expat retirees who have praise the heathcare they received in Penang. Go to the website, have a read and form your own opinion.
All the Best
Curlytops

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I refer to the health service in Spain primarily because its free for me being a resident here (in Spain), I have nothing but praise for the medical care in Penang (and Thailand, the Bangkok hospital in Pattaya has state of the art medical equipment and care), in Penang the hospitals seem to be a little older but the care is just as good. (I'm sorry, but in Penang we normally look at the doctors list and choose a Western trained Doc.)
However, In Penang I've just received 8 weeks chemo for which I think I was charged as a foreigner!, possibly there is a double standard and price emerging with the emergence of medical tourism?.
My sister-in-law (Malaysian Chinese) always seems to state we've been overcharged whenever my wife or I visit a doctor or dentist, even though a visit to a GP costs about 50RM. Regards Robert

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Before coming to Malaysia we lived and run a Indian Take-a-way  & B & B business in Spain, we found in the majority of cases, quite a high % of expats that purchased,  paid well over for their new villas , plus there was double pricing in the builder merchants. the sharp agent were well greedy for commissions.  Most drank more than their fare share, as drink is cheaper than water , ( me as well ). The pound to the euro was great at 1.44 plus, so a lot lived well above their means, without a thought for tomorrow. 

Going back last year, when i sold my property, was a real shock, it was terrible, like a ghost town from the expat community, our friends that are still there, are sure feeling the crunch.  Malaysia is no way as bad as that, i know a lot are feeling the crunch and things are harder, we ourselves have made cut backs in all area,s, given up golf (for Now ), changed our Gym to a cheaper one, eat out less, and we treat a ringgit as a pound when it comes to spending, we still have a good quality of life by adjusting to our new budget and living within our means. 
bruce

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hi,

A Malaysian at a government hospital pays RM1. A foreigner pays RM60. Receipts are issued and will be checked by the nurses prior to seeing the docs. I like the difference in the charge because I can then sit up straight and feel that I'm not getting something for nothing.

I can't think that the UK comes across as fair. A minister in the government is living with a partner and paying rent - great so far. But then claims the rent off the tax-payer because he can. It starts to go wrong at this point. He resigns and is called a "honourable man" and "a great loss to the country" etc. etc. And it was all over GBP900 per month. A minister gets GBP65,000 for being an MP, plus about GBP130,000 for the minister's job. Plus lots of allowances. Where was the guy's sense of fairness, equity, privilege of serving the nation. What happened to integrity? Why would he bother to claim the allowance anyway. And this is the mild end of it all.

What concerns me, if I'm back in the UK, is paying tax, even if it's only VAT, for this sort of behaviour. In Malaysia I don't pay tax and the reported government corruption doesn't bug me.

I realise that this thread is UK centred. But comments/topics on other countries are more than welcome as usual.

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Hi Scott

well, if it is worth a penny, some words of a "run-away-german"....

After 5-6 years living in Medan/Indonesia we decided to move to Penang a couple of years ago to avoid the annoying immigration troubles I had in Indonesia year after year. And frankly speaking the only regret I have so far is that we didn't moved earlier. I wouldn't be able to live in Germany anymore at all. And I'm not talking about the political or economical troubles which europe is facing...
It is just that I feel home in Asia. I love the food, the climate and the people here and it doesn't matter what kind of race or nationality they are.
"knowing" you only from the forum and your comments and statements you left here (unfortunately we never met), I guess you wouldn't be able to live happily in Europe again. You would miss the asian flavour and the weather and I would be willing to bet, that you would return to asia within a max 1-2 years period....
I know for sure I would....

Maybe it's a kind of "second-midlife-crisis"  which you are going though....

Stay with us in lovly malaysia and enjoy the freedom of choice you have overhere

Ciao

Udo

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Hey that's 2 votes for you staying Scot
Bruce

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Hi Scott,

We are Australian and have lived in UK,  Australia and the States as well as Malaysia. We don't know how long we'll be here. At the moment, it suits us being somewhere in Asia for business and kids schooling reasons. We do swing between wanting to be in Singapore and Malaysia. Both have their +ve and -ve as I am sure you know. We decided on Malaysia mainly because it is more relaxing and a bit more normal esp. for our kids, not to mention cheaper but the cost of international schools here mean we will not stay here beyond a few years. And  we still feel home is somewhere West. So we should I guess, as it is "Malaysia, my SECOND home".

Long-term, I don't think we would go back to Australia. We are from Sydney and had a small apartment there. For the price of that apartment, we  bought a big-ish house in Houston which we still have. Even $100-200K USD can buy a decent house. I know the US seems to get bad reviews but I really feel at home in Houston and more generally the South. It is very relaxed, the people are friendly and Texans have a good attitude to life and are against taxing people crazy. Where we are was surprisingly safe and neighbourly. Food (incl. quality meat and dairy, which we long for here) and petrol are cheap, half the price of Australia.  My husband and I would like to return to Houston some day. Someone mentioned US property tax. Yes, it is a bit steep but since there is no other tax for us, we don't mind it. Plus if you earn a bit there, you can claim some of it off your income tax. The worst thing about the States is healthcare. Another surprising thing is that we met a lot of Brits in Houston, who now live there and love it.

   

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Hi Scott,

I think its a fact that no-one on the forum wants you to leave however that really doesnt solve your problem. I think UDOc got closest to the real dilemma and that is you feel at home here.

Most of the comments on this thread fall into the category of "kind words butter no parsnips" , remember that from your youth? So the question is do you really want to go?

If you really want to go then you need to start plotting your course, but if , as I believe ; you really don't want to go then what do you do you need to do to stay?

I think that firstly you have a value to all expats, secondly you have a value to the MM2H program and thirdly and most importantly for you, you have this forum. All values are tradeable and so there is potential for you generating revenue from all of these.

Now I know you value the integrity of this forum and wouldnt have ads plastered all over it like some other forums we know however there is some scope for a single major sponsor. Your knowledge and contacts in Malaysia also have potential for generating revenue especially on the net. Information sites can generate some funds and I think you could set up an MM2H advisory with various add ons that could generate funds. maybe some of us could help with that.

MOTOUR Please read this!
I also believe that the ministry could be prevailed upon to forego some of the requirements for your next visa because of your value to this country. Remember Malaysia Boleh! Well if you lose Scott you lose one of the major points of reference for Expats wanting to join the progam!

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Qjumper, you are right. Scott is a value. This forum has been instrumental in our decision to apply for My2Home. You should be able to do something here.

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hi,

Many thanks for the enthusiasm. I'd like the forum to remain ad-free. I'm reluctant to return permanently to the UK from my own feelings, and the views expressed here only reinforce them.

I've been thinking about setting-up a design service in Penang. Most of my architectural experience is with London's Victorian and Edwardian buildings, and Georgetown has 156 shophouses that it wants to do something with.

I imagine it would be feasible to rent an office in Georgetown. A central shophouse with extra space that could be used as an MM2H meeting centre for my2homers in Penang. Or something like that. And as an MM2H group we could get casually organised and give something back such as adopting a local charity, old folks home, orphans home. Now that would be great.

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A great idea, Penang needs an office that we expat can go to for direct and true info, not only for mm2ers questions, but to meet others in the program as well.
Bruce

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Hi Scott,

My first experience of Penang Heritage Trust:

I went to their office and said I would like to join and volunteer to do any work to help them. They said are you a lawyer? no I said, Are you any architect they asked, no I said. Well they said may as well @&$$er off then

The point is that in business of any type in Penang you need influential contacts, join PHT and you will meet a lot (cos you are an architect).

There used to be a meeting place for expats called the Green House, it closed down I think because the Aussies that ran it went home (I think). If you need me to do some digging for info on shop houses just say the word.

Regards

Bob

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hi, Bob,

The Green House was mentioned on this forum some time back. The search facility here can't locate it which isn't saying much as results are always so-so. I didn't know that it had closed down. I remember that the deal was these my2homers got to run a restaurant in return for promoting mm2h. Or something like that.

Many thanks for the digging offer. I'll contact the PHT and see how it goes. Maybe a trip up to Penang in a couple of months.

 

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If my memory serves me right, there was a news article saying that the couple had sold their Green House and moved to Tanjung Bungah / Batu Ferringhi after buying a unit of condominium there.  As they loved George Town so much, they also bought a row of shophouses and converted it into holiday homes for short and long term rental.  Anyone who reads The Star regularly should know who they are as their name appeared in the paper quite few times.  They really helped promote MM2H in Penang!   

Scott, other than Penang Heritage Trust, you may try Penang Heritage Office at Carnavron Street - Armenian Street junction.  There is a session there every morning where the architects meet the locals to give free technical advice on house repair and conservation.  Perhaps, you may involve yourself as a volunteer first so that you have a chance to meet more people who are in the same field as you.  As the time goes and when your social circle grows, who knows you may have a chance to start up your own business or someone whom you know may want to hire you as a consultant! 

Read thie interview and it might give you some motivation :

http://www.penangpassion.com/article.aspx?secid=20&catid=50&artid=46

Cheers!