IYDIA : Where You're Living & Working

[HIDDEN]

Good topic. The mistake we made was that we applied while I was still working/living in Malaysia - not working in Malaysia but in HK, China, Singapore and around the area. The great benefit of course was the tax free status. When I stopped working and just lived in Malaysia it was entirley different. We are of course all different and what is one man's pleasure can be another man's ( or woman's ) pain. In short I found it all too boring. I had been in and out of Malaysia since 1989 and also lived in Singapore for 2 years so I just took it for granted that I would love living there (the "cultural" way things are done never bothered me as I was used to it.) Not the case. The point I think I am trying to make is it is worth "trying before buying" i.e. -perhaps come on a 3 month visa to check out different areas and then if not sure take another 3 month visa to confirm that Malaysia is the place for you. In saying this, for us at least, it was worth the effort to get the MM2H visa - we were living in KL, you did not need agents's then and it was a relatively simple procedure ( not like Australia where we are applying now!!) and as I mentioned the tax free status was worth a lot of money. However, of you are applying from overseas and do not have much experience of the country ( a few holidays here and there)I think it would be worth the effort to check it out first. We met a retired couple from the UK who were living in the same Apartment block as us in KL. They joined the MM2H programme about 1 year prior to us after holidaying there for many years. After 2 years they went back to the UK. While they enjoyed being away from the UK weather they said they had never "settled in". Of course this won't apply to everyone but it is worth considering for those who might be in the early stages of the application procedure.

Cheers

Brian