Working in KL

[craig r]

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

[craig r]

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

[craig r]

XJSJohn said:

to the OP, just went back through Asia archives here and found some threads (some for Singa, some malaysia) that may give you some good pointers / advice on the right sort of questions that SWMBO should be asking etc.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...


http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Thanks. I did have a scan of them before, but I will have a proper look over them. It seems her job is more retail operations (whatever that means) so maybe not so sales biased.

Berw said:

Yeh back to topic, I've reread the original post and see the wife has been offered ajob in sales, my advice do not go near it, I have never (in 15 years) meet a European who has meet his sales target in KL, ( I use his here on purpose cause I do know one she who has done it and done it well) place is full of expat selling financial products to other expats 9or trying to) but selling to locals in near impossible.

If Craig want a job in motor engineering, then options are,
Proton/Lotus-they have their own people and I think Lotuis will be sold sone,
Peradua- they are tied up to Diatsu,
Naza- Kia and VW tie up and based up North in Gurun (great place 40 miles to Thailand I lived there for two years I loved it, but the wife would divorce you in a week)
Hicom-they just bought out Proton and are tied up with VW.

Race teams, I know a few expats working for race teams, but money is not good and there are alot of people looking at the moment as the story is that petronas are pulling their funding from their formula BMW team leaving people looking for work.

Set up on your own, not easy as the most you can charge is 10 pound an hour, so you need aload of guys on 3 pound an hout to give amargine, not an option as a one man garage.

Bad news about the Petronas funding. I had expected my first applications to be aimed Proton /Lotus, hadn't thought of Perodua, and I haven't heard of Naza of Hicom.

~ Craig

[craig r]

Hi again,

I have a bit more info on SWMBO's job offer...

she has been offered 7000 ringgets/month salary with a further 4000 to cover accommodation, a quick google has told me it's about 2300GBP which we could live off over here. My question is this, is this amount enough to live to a reasonable standard? I will try and get a job also, so is it enough to support 2 grown ups - I'm worried about starving!

[craig r]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the honesty.

She would get one flight home a year, and that's just her - I would have to sort myself out!

The move would be just for the work experience for the OH, it could be a great stepping stone for her.

~ Craig