Discussion
Hi All!
I got directed here from the Jobs and Employment board and I'm after some info please......
SWMBO has been offered a job in Kuala Lumpur, something to do with sales/customer service, they aren't giving away much information, just asking her if she would work overseas. She would like to know more about KL / Malaysia in general. Wikipedia and tourist sites are good for facts and figures, but don't really tell you anything about what life is like over there.
Would I have any issues getting a work visa / job over there if I couldn't be a kept man? For info I'm a degree qualified automotive test engineer.
~ Craig
I got directed here from the Jobs and Employment board and I'm after some info please......
SWMBO has been offered a job in Kuala Lumpur, something to do with sales/customer service, they aren't giving away much information, just asking her if she would work overseas. She would like to know more about KL / Malaysia in general. Wikipedia and tourist sites are good for facts and figures, but don't really tell you anything about what life is like over there.
Would I have any issues getting a work visa / job over there if I couldn't be a kept man? For info I'm a degree qualified automotive test engineer.
~ Craig
Never had a problem with EP's in malaysia.
Berw and a few of the KL guys will be along soon with proper advice!
I realy like KL, good bustling city with a great atmosphere!
ahem .... give me a shout if you are looking for a condo to rent ,.... i just so happen to have a cheep one in KLCC
Berw and a few of the KL guys will be along soon with proper advice!
I realy like KL, good bustling city with a great atmosphere!
ahem .... give me a shout if you are looking for a condo to rent ,.... i just so happen to have a cheep one in KLCC
Fear noot I'm here.
Work Permits,
there are a few options,
1 A specific work permit for a specific job, must be proposed and supported by the company making the offer, usually granted, if you go this route do not use the word Manager in your job title, you need to be a specalist advisor consultant, if you are in Oil and Gas engaged on a Malaysian project, then you need Petronas to agree no matter who is employing you.
2 Malysia My Second Home, you can get for 5/10 years subject to being 55 and puting 20K pound in a deposit account, you can work 20 hours a week.
3 Talant Visa, you can apply for a 5 year visa in your own right, and your spouse get a work visa awell, the only people I know who have got these are people whao have been here years and have transfferd from a specific visa, (Look Up TalantCorp malaysia on the Net).
British can stay three months without a visa, If one has a work visa the spouse gets a dependent pass with no right to work.
Kl Is a good place to live, Health Insurance 500 Pound a year each, schools are expensive, Fairview is around 4K a year, Garden around 7, Alice Smith and ISKL are around 15, 10 to 20% off the second child. Electric water TV etc say 100 pound a month for all.
Cars are expensive, look at Mudah.com petrol 40P a liter road toll is 2Op for 10km on the highway. Car tax is strange 1300Cc 15 pound a year 3500Cc 1000 pound ayear, 318BMw is 150 pound, 328 is 400+, so people tend towqard 2 liter cars.
Flats, from 600 pound amonth for athree bed, Houses from around 1500 pound, in town only flats.
Comuting is a nightmare get aplace on the train line or near work.
Driving in Malysia is safe, and there is not trouble like muggings etc.
Pm me if you need specifics.
Work Permits,
there are a few options,
1 A specific work permit for a specific job, must be proposed and supported by the company making the offer, usually granted, if you go this route do not use the word Manager in your job title, you need to be a specalist advisor consultant, if you are in Oil and Gas engaged on a Malaysian project, then you need Petronas to agree no matter who is employing you.
2 Malysia My Second Home, you can get for 5/10 years subject to being 55 and puting 20K pound in a deposit account, you can work 20 hours a week.
3 Talant Visa, you can apply for a 5 year visa in your own right, and your spouse get a work visa awell, the only people I know who have got these are people whao have been here years and have transfferd from a specific visa, (Look Up TalantCorp malaysia on the Net).
British can stay three months without a visa, If one has a work visa the spouse gets a dependent pass with no right to work.
Kl Is a good place to live, Health Insurance 500 Pound a year each, schools are expensive, Fairview is around 4K a year, Garden around 7, Alice Smith and ISKL are around 15, 10 to 20% off the second child. Electric water TV etc say 100 pound a month for all.
Cars are expensive, look at Mudah.com petrol 40P a liter road toll is 2Op for 10km on the highway. Car tax is strange 1300Cc 15 pound a year 3500Cc 1000 pound ayear, 318BMw is 150 pound, 328 is 400+, so people tend towqard 2 liter cars.
Flats, from 600 pound amonth for athree bed, Houses from around 1500 pound, in town only flats.
Comuting is a nightmare get aplace on the train line or near work.
Driving in Malysia is safe, and there is not trouble like muggings etc.
Pm me if you need specifics.
Been here 6 months now, and would mirror most of berw's comments, with a couple of additions (see below). Not meant to be negative, just realistic. This is our second overseas assignment so we were prepared for some of the things we've encountered, but there's always something new to find out:
- Prepare to be frustrated - compared the UK (and this isn't saying much...) things like customer service are borderline non-existant at times. It's not that people won't help, but it's easier to say no than to try and find the answer for you;
- need to put yourself out there - things aren't that difficult, but having a network of friends and contacts around is really helpful when it comes to finding the easy way to get things done;
- cars are expensive, and there's a lot of crap out there at the cheap end of the market - try to get enough in SWMBO's salary package to cover a car - renting a Myvi (the ubiquitious small car here) runs from between RM1,600-1,800 per month from some of the rental companies. Long term it's not cheap, but potentially less hassle than having your own car. On the plus side, petrol is cheap, so you can run an older car with a bigger engine without worrying too much - about 2.3 litres is a sensible size to balance road tax with fuel economy
- make sure you have a contingency, in terms of spare cash if something goes wrong. Chances are any problems will take a while to resolve and you could end up out of pocket even after lots of chasing around. Don't expect to win, even if you're right...
- cost of living in terms of supermarket shopping is a bit cheaper than the UK, depending on where you shop and where you source things. You can eat out cheaply, but you'll pay a premium for imported brands. Clothes and shoes are more expensive than the UK, and sizes are aimed at the local market. Electrical goods are generally more expensive because on-line shopping, and hence competition, isn't very big over here. There's no Amazon.com.my for example
.- Food here is great !! Loads of choice and cheap to eat out. Alcohol is, however, somewhat pricey (as you'd expect in a Muslim country).
- Stuff to do - KL itself isn't a tourist mecca - there are things to do and see for sure, but KL is a good hub to get out and about to travel round the region.
- Driving - this is a nation with ZERO peripheral vision - accept that and driving here is fine. The moped riders *are* lunatics, but you learn to ignore them after a while...
- Accommodation - haggle, a lot. We had the relative luxury of not needing to, but the rental prices you'll see have a lot of room for discounting. Either push the rent down, or get them to throw in lots of furniture, and don't be fobbed off with cheap stuff. There's an over-supply of rental properties in places like Mont Kiara (an expat area, and I make no bones about the fact we chose to live there) so look around and see what floats your boat.
- Be prepared for it to be different !! Stating the obvious ? Well, yes. But you'll need to be prepared to go about things in a different way to find what you need, and accept that it may take longer or prices may be higher than you're used to. For example, the convenience of going to Halfords to buy car bits is replaced by a trip to a local motor factors, where you can enjoy a sit down and a natter with the proprieter while one of his 'runners' goes off to source the parts from another store
And while you can buy meat from supermarkets, you can also get it cheaper (and fresher, much fresher...practically still clucking...) from a local chap who'll bring you whole fresh chickens for half the price of what you'll pay in the supermarket.Drop me a PM or e-mail if you want - happy to share a few of our immediate thoughts and experiences if you're interested.
XJSJohn said:
Nick M said:
- Driving - this is a nation continent with ZERO peripheral vision - accept that and driving here is fine. The moped riders *are* lunatics, but you learn to ignore them after a while...
sorry mate, just some EFA 
I had a b
king from SWMBO a while back - "You'd better not drive like this when we're back in the UK !!". I took that to mean I had adapted to the local driving conditions quite successfully Nick M said:
XJSJohn said:
Nick M said:
- Driving - this is a nation continent with ZERO peripheral vision - accept that and driving here is fine. The moped riders *are* lunatics, but you learn to ignore them after a while...
sorry mate, just some EFA I had a b
king from SWMBO a while back - "You'd better not drive like this when we're back in the UK !!". I took that to mean I had adapted to the local driving conditions quite successfully and then just carry on as you were
Thanks everyone for the responses, very grateful. Interesting to hear about the Talant Visa - I'll be looking that up!
Sounds like an interesting place to be - I've only ever lived in the UK so I'm massively excited about the prospect!
The info I'm getting off the OH is a bit hazy at the moment wrt salary / package etc, which is a tad annoying, because surely these are important factors when moving half way around the world! Once I have more info I'll probably have more Q's.
~ Craig
Sounds like an interesting place to be - I've only ever lived in the UK so I'm massively excited about the prospect!
The info I'm getting off the OH is a bit hazy at the moment wrt salary / package etc, which is a tad annoying, because surely these are important factors when moving half way around the world! Once I have more info I'll probably have more Q's.
~ Craig
Nick do your really think clothes are cheaper in the UK? My kids spend a fortune on clothes when they visit, and tell me I'm saving money by buying for them in KL!!
Just onje example, I was looking at a new alpine jacket in Bintulu and it was 300Rm the same one in the UK is 400 pound.
One thing to note, tax is 25% max rate.
Just onje example, I was looking at a new alpine jacket in Bintulu and it was 300Rm the same one in the UK is 400 pound.
One thing to note, tax is 25% max rate.
If this is an entirely new employment, rather than assignment / secondment within her existing company, then try to get them to stump up for some sort of trip out here to check out the place prior to signing on the dotted line. If they're making an investment to recruit someone from overseas then they're a) not short of a bob or two and b) obviously keen to have her here. No way would I agree to an overseas job without having had a chance to check out the place before agreeing to go.
I have a background in expat assignments, so can also offer some thoughts on that side of things too.
Nick M said:
XJSJohn said:
Nick M said:
- Driving - this is a nation continent with ZERO peripheral vision - accept that and driving here is fine. The moped riders *are* lunatics, but you learn to ignore them after a while...
sorry mate, just some EFA I had a b
king from SWMBO a while back - "You'd better not drive like this when we're back in the UK !!". I took that to mean I had adapted to the local driving conditions quite successfully t out of the side anyway...Mechanical sympathy? Brakes are either 'On' or 'Off', steering either 'Left' or 'Right', and if your taxi passenger has a hangover then it's important to pulse the accelerator pedal on the freeway for maximum comfort.
f
kers. Why am I getting a car again?Berw said:
Nick do your really think clothes are cheaper in the UK? My kids spend a fortune on clothes when they visit, and tell me I'm saving money by buying for them in KL!!
Just onje example, I was looking at a new alpine jacket in Bintulu and it was 300Rm the same one in the UK is 400 pound.
Well bear in mind our perspective may be somewhat different, because we did a LOT of shopping at home on-line. SWMBO used to order quite a bit of stuff from Next, M&S, etc., and I would order various brands for casual and work clothes. But with a bit of patience and looking around, rarely did we pay full price for things compared to what they were in the shops, or we'd get cash-back deals via Quidco, etc.Just onje example, I was looking at a new alpine jacket in Bintulu and it was 300Rm the same one in the UK is 400 pound.
Not wanting to sound like we were penny-pinching, but why pay more for stuff than you need to ?
For example, work shirts - easy to get 4 decent shirts for about GBP 120 from Lewins, etc., in one of their constant 'sales' - but here you're paying full store prices. M&S and Debenhams here are more expensive than in the UK, and SWMBO has been unimpressed by the quality of the stuff in other stores where things might be cheaper.
Same sentiment echoed by quite a few of our friends here - they miss the convenience and price of stuff in the UK.
Sure, there will be some things cheaper here than the UK - like your jacket - but overall I've not been impressed by the prices of stuff here, even in the sales. Maybe we're just looking in the wrong places.
Bing o said:
Why do you need peripheral vision when you have a horn and half a car length advantage?
The locals don't seem to use the horn much here.I, however, use it frequently and it will shortly be louder. MUCH LOUDER !!! Got a set of air-horns at the weekend, so just need to fit them
You can buy nice Van Husan cotten shirts for work in Isitan KL for 55rm each which is 12 pound. You can get them made to measure for 20 by a local talior.
I can get leather shoes made to measure for 50 pound.
I've never been in M and S in KL,
Surprised you think Kl is expensive, I can't think of anyhting I've seen in the UK that is cheaper than KL.
I can get leather shoes made to measure for 50 pound.
I've never been in M and S in KL,
Surprised you think Kl is expensive, I can't think of anyhting I've seen in the UK that is cheaper than KL.
Berw said:
You can buy nice Van Husan cotten shirts for work in Isitan KL for 55rm each which is 12 pound. You can get them made to measure for 20 by a local talior.
I can get leather shoes made to measure for 50 pound.
I've never been in M and S in KL,
Surprised you think Kl is expensive, I can't think of anyhting I've seen in the UK that is cheaper than KL.
I never know why people buy off the peg when you can get shirts made to fit for the same/less.I can get leather shoes made to measure for 50 pound.
I've never been in M and S in KL,
Surprised you think Kl is expensive, I can't think of anyhting I've seen in the UK that is cheaper than KL.
Paying full price for Lewins? They are a 'got pissed on Thursday night, woke up at some slapper's place in Essex and need something for my 10am with Sales' type shirt.
Apparently.
Berw said:
I can get leather shoes made to measure for 50 pound.
I could be interested in this ....... have to remember to ask you next time we meet up RE Clothes, from a Singapore perspective, as a 6ft 3 fat ugly bloke, not much off the peg fits my svelt form, but for work, tailoring is cheap and good.
However we have something in Singapore called VPost run by the singapore post office.
It basically provides you with a virtual address in USA, UK, and Australia that you can use for fleabay, amazon etc, they then consignment freight forward to Singapore and on to your address.
May be worth seeing if Malaysia has something similar, or alternatively welcome to use my address and i can then either forward to KL or you guys can pick up if you fancy a jolly in the Myvii or whatever down to Singa
Nick M said:
Got a set of air-horns at the weekend, so just need to fit them
Had them in my old 911, sounded like an Australian Outback Road Train going town the East Coast Highway, Taxi's especially drive acoustically, here a horn and the immediately swerve back to where they were !!! you gone for two tone or full dukes of hazard Dixie?
Bing o said:
I never know why people buy off the peg when you can get shirts made to fit for the same/less.
Paying full price for Lewins? They are a 'got pissed on Thursday night, woke up at some slapper's place in Essex and need something for my 10am with Sales' type shirt.
Convenience, plain and simple.Paying full price for Lewins? They are a 'got pissed on Thursday night, woke up at some slapper's place in Essex and need something for my 10am with Sales' type shirt.
There are some things I'm prepared to invest some time and effort in - buying shirts for work isn't one of them. And yes, I'm sure you'll tell me it's no great problem to go to the tailor, get measured and for him to rustle up 10 shirts for 50p and a conker, but my 'can't be arsed' gene is strong
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