Hi,

I'm Malaysian, maybe I can help you out.

1) 1) What would be the equivalent area to look at, with beaches, diving, 2 bedroom condo's, access to shopping malls etc ?

Unfortunately (and fortunately) there are no condos near the good dive sites of Malaysia. But if you can be content with just golden sand beaches, look into Batu Feringhi in Penang - high rise condos with swimming pool & sports facilities, sea view, walking distance to beach, 10 minutes drive to the malls, good food and culturally interesting.

But most expats prefer to live around Kuala Lumpur the capital. It's a vibrant modern city with thriving businesses, easy lifestyle, great shopping, clusters of restaurants and bars and parks. You can travel from KL to other places easily with cheap flights or by car. The only drawback to this city is the horrendous traffic jam during peak hours.

2) What is the weather like during December or January ?

Rainy in most parts of Malaysia. On the west coast of Peninsulat Malaysia, it will probably rain for 1 to 2 hours a day, while the east coast will get thunderstorms.

3) Which bank is recommended to open an account with

Depending on your needs, it's best to choose an international bank such as
HSBC, Standard Chartered and Citybank. Some Malaysian banks are Public Bank (especially for loans and investments), CIMB Bank (for international transactions), Alliance Bank (for loans and investments) and RHB Bank (many branches throughout the country). Al Rahji Bank and Kuwait Finance have recently open branches here.

Fixed Deposit interest is around 3.7% now.

4) Will we require transport ?

There's plenty of public transport around Kuala Lumpur - buses, skytrain, normal train, taxis. But due to the hot weather, waiting for public transport can be irritating. If you prefer to travel around freely, by a car. With the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program, you can import a car tax-free of buy a locally assembled car tax-free.

Fuel here is more expensive than in Saudi (well, which country isn't? :-) ) but still affordable at around US$ 0.63.

5) Are we required to have medicals before being granted residence ?

Yes, you need to purchase medical insurance.


6) Are we requried to exit/reenter at regular intervals ?

With the MM2H visa, you can stay as long as you like and travel in-out as often as you like.

Please feel free to email me if you need more help.

Cheers,
Vivien