Reasons why some Japaneses working in Malaysia : • English widely spoken • One season outfits • Relaxed lifestyle & life balance • No catastrophic events • Beaches & nature • Cheap

Kuala Lumpur to me is the most underrated city of the East. A 21st century pearl of the orient.

I have been living in Malaysia for the last five years and I’m in love with this country day after day. If only the government is more efficient and more aware of the huge potential of the country especially for tourism. Malaysia is definitely must be a global destination.

Many ppl prefer Malaysia as it offers affordable quality living for the family .. a slower relaxed homely lifestyle, wide variety of cuisines, tourist destinations .. KL, Penang, Malacca, Ipoh, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, great golf courses all over d country, hill n island resorts with super diving and scuba sites as well as affordable n spacious condos or bungalows... do come n see for yourself.. you will be spoilt for choices 😁🏝🏖🏞⛳

Malaysia is the country that I would retire and live for many reasons: cost of living, amazing people, diverse culture, mainly English-speaking, good food but my main reason is because I am a Muslim from the UK and Malaysia is predominantly Muslim so that one of the main reasons but I would also don't mind living in Singapore. I love Japan but only to travel and not to live there. Never been to South Korea and I don't think that I'm interested in going there

I'm desperate to visit Japan, I was supposed to be going there for my 55th birthday later this year but covid has screwed that up. As for Kuala Lumpur, I was there early last year and loved it so much that I'm planning to spend this coming winter there.

I am Korean living in Malaysia

I live in Malaysia, on the East Coast, cheap and relaxing. Prior to Covid, travelled often to Singapore, Japan and Korea for holidays. It's the best arrangement.

Kuala Lumpur is definitely got that warm and cozy city vibes

From Malaysia with ❤️.4 place u can stay in comfortable 1 KL 2 Penang 3 Ipoh 4 Johor.. you find this place easy n economy..Et.

The temperature here in Malaysia is one of the main reasons Japanese and Koreans move here. Because it's sorta stable so you don't get ill easily due to the change in seasons

Certainly valid points presented in the analogy Michael. I have been living in Kuala Lumpur for the past 14 years. Previously, 20 years in the UK and USA. Had the opportunity to travel extensively for the past 35 years. I think sometimes the line becomes a blur because people get confused with, a) Settling down 'long term' and b) An interim stay eg as a visitor or for work. There are huge differences with both. When settling down on a more permanent basis, one have the time and luxury to observe not only the facade but the 'hairline' cracks and idiosyncrasies of that particular society and its governing body. I concluded a good way to ascertain what makes a country 'livable' is by drafting out a 10 point chart (no more than that; as it can get murky and counter productive) of Crucial and Vital factors to the individual. For instance; weather, political climate, safety, affordability, culture, tax system, language, friendliness etc. If the chart weighs in favor of 7:10 and above, then BINGO, therein lies the answer. Different things appeal to different individuals and so there is no singular 'answer' I'm sure. As one gets older, (and hopefully more experienced in life) one soon realizes there is no PERFECT country in the world. Therefore the closest to that is one which suits our top 10 requirements. Having said all that, in my experience, Kuala Lumpur is definitely one of the most affordable modern cities with good infrastructure to live in. Singapore share a lot of similar traits as KL (Kuala Lumpur) but due to its size, land are scarce and therefore it cost at least 3-4 times more to buy similar properties. Food isn't that much different in terms of cost in Singapore with the exception of high end eateries. Another advantage is that geographically, Malaysia share closer proximity to that of many South East Asian countries and definitely cheaper to fly out from by comparison with Singapore. English is widely spoken in both cities and certainly one of the top requirements for many people contemplating a move. One other point which tip the scale in favor of Kuala Lumpur (and Malaysia as a country) is the MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home) program offered by the government for retirees from abroad. (At the moment the program is on hold pending some restructuring). Under this program, all income derived from outside the country is tax exempt. A very straight forward and uncomplicated program where all the requirements are clearly spelled out. I have toyed with the idea of perhaps moving back to the UK or USA but the longer I live in Kuala Lumpur, the more convinced I am the plus points far outstrip any of the flaws. Hopefully my take on the city helps.

I'm from Malaysia.. we have so many variety in cultures, foods and places to visit even we just a small country.. some said Malaysia is truly Asia..

KL is the place to be... better than anywhere else in the world...

Somehow agree with your points. My one word summary on the cities i have lived before Singapore - Efficient Tokyo - Tiring Seoul - Old rude drunken man (sorry) Amsterdam - Happy retirement Kuala Lumpur - Friendly

Speak manglish/singlish. Pick up a few phrases in the local languages and.. you’re one of us. No longer a foreigner 😬

Simply, living cost in Malaysia is so cheap especially if you compare to other places like Tokyo and Singapore which are some of the highest living cost countries in the world. That’s always one of the main reasons.

Singaporean planning to retire in Malaysia 😁👍👋

Your point of never being Japanese is very true, though Japan is IMHO one of the best countries in the world. Singapore is good but very expensive, KL is a great city, cheap to live there, but Malaysia has been closed for the last 1 1/2 years due to covid and here seems to be no timeline for when the country will be open.

In Malaysia, you can own a big house with a reasonable price ... you can make your dream comes true .

Two very good points. Having lived in both Malaysia and Singapore I hadn’t even considered them as both countries make it so easy. When I saw the title of the video I immediately thought climate, cost of living and diversity (a big part of which is food!)

No earthquake 🌎.. No volcano 🌋 n no typhoon 🌀... That's Malaysia n Singapore...

I lived in Japan for 4 years and loved it but I totally agree with your thesis.

Yes, every state has benefits and drawbacks; nothing is perfect. For me, Malaysia has it all: modern city, wonderful island, jungle, mountain, and a diverse culture.

KL is one of my favourite cities.I don't find KL boring unlike some people.

Keep Malaysia underrated. Best kept secret. We loved foreigners.Welcome.

even korean and japanese loves Malaysia

I love Japan. But the language barrier helps people appear more polite than they really are. Once you spend some decent time there, you begin to pick up on the language. And what you observe is that a lot of the politeness is simply colloquial. Yes, some Japanese are indeed very polite, there was one instance where a man gave up his seat for me on a crowded train, probably only because I appeared foreign. But there were many other cases of being coldly ignored in conversation because I was foreign. So yes, once you get past the polite greetings, you are very much treated as an "other" in Japan and will never get equal treatment.

It depends on what you want: MY/SG: Heterogenous of culture, slightly cheaper, English usage more wider (no.1 and 3 usage of English proficiency in Asia), if you prefer a quite down time, language system can be grasp using the alphabets. KR/JP: Homogeneity of culture, a bit more costly, less English usage, quite bustling and modern, need to learn the writing system. Depend on what you want really, older prefer the former, younger prefer the latter.

Thanks for this wonderful video. Malaysia n Singapore r both part of d Commonwealth countries.

Come to borneo Sarawak mlysia.💜if you love nature!

Honestly awesome video!!! Great topic

Malaysia and Singapore are pretty good. Less stressful environment

I am from Sabah..if you want to experience nature & multi-ethnic society, do come to Borneo (East Malaysia).

So what i conclude for most of the foreigner who live in malaysia the top reason why they choose malaysia for retirement 1.cheap 2.food

To live and work ---> 1. Singapore 2. Singapore 3. Singapore. (Very organized, efficient, good English, good infrastructure) For holiday ---> 1.Japan. 2. South Korea 3. Malaysia 4. Singapore. For retirement ---> 1. Malaysia 2. Malaysia 3. Malaysia. (Good quality of life with low cost, many laid-back towns and cities) No offence to Singaporeans, Malaysians, South Koreans and Japanese. It's just my opinion.

If u dont have to work and can just choose a place to live, definitely Japan or SK. But if u have to make a living, never Japan or SK. The working culture and social conformities there are just too much pressure

I'm Malaysian and truly appreciate my country's weather except during monsoon season 😂

Thanks to suggest my country to lives malaysia even though my country not advance and developed as singapore,south korea and japan.

Surveys like Internations rank Japan low for expat satisfaction, probably for the reasons you mentioned. Its an amazing place to visit though. Love waking up to a new video every day, I’m getting addicted!

My sis loved Japan and jumped at the opportunity to intern in Japan for a year. The people are friendly and she felt safe throughout her stay. The only major downside is how backwards their banking systems are. She had to pay a small fee to withdraw money from ATMs, got rejected when she applied for a debit card thus she had to carry huge amount of cash with her to pay off her rental or if she decide to buy something expensive. She had to go through tons of procedures, paperwork and checks to close her account when she was leaving the country at the end of her internship. Overall, she love her stay in Japan and she will still visit once or twice a year.

Singapore, so expensive, like Tokyo and Hong Kong. In Malaysia, you have cheap food, cheap petrol and cars and affordable housing. Before covid lockdown, Singaporeans will come during the weekends to buy food and fill their cars with cheap petrol. To the Singaporeans, everything in Malaysia is cheap cheap.

Cool video. Are there any places that had been popular but have fallen out of favour *recently* with people considering to relocate to or get citizenship (including without moving there)?

Come live in Kuala Lumpur, takes a $100 flights every months to vacations at Thai and Philippines Islands, Hanoi, Bali, Changmai. After covid of course.

Terima kasih ❤✅

Agree with you Michael. KL or SG for sure. Preference: SG if you can afford it -

when you got used to pay $3 for a meal, $400 for apartment and $0.50 for petrol, it's hard to leave

I also like Malaysia

*Welcome to Malaysia Truly Asia Good foods Enjoyed Thanks for Very good videos* 🇲🇾💖💝❤️💓😍🤩🥰🇲🇾💖💝💓❤️🥰🤩💖🇲🇾

I think corporate cultures might play a part in the decision process too.

As a malaysian, basically we live in respect as a culture. that's how all of us live happily between malay, chinese, indian and various multi-ethnic as long as foreigners coming here and respect the multicultural in malaysia we are always welcome u with open hands.

I’m a Malaysian. I’m pretty cool with Malaysia being underrated. We’re not perfect but Malaysia is Best kept secret….

I'm from Penang,Msia...but i do love my neighbours(Thai/SG)esp Spore!*I adore Japan!but-Residing wise-Msia wud be more ideal due to a balanced temperature,humidity compared to Sg/Bangkok(both r friggin hotter than Kl)no seriously the winds in Bangkok n Sg is HOT...unlike Msia,the breeze is cooler!BEST food in the World=Msia!Period!but,i always crave the authenticity of Japanese cuisine-in Jpn!tat can't be replicated to the fullest ANYWHERE else!Canadians r the nicest people on the planet!

Agreed on both main points-especially the second on gaijin status. Being an outsider can also lead to a challenging entrepreneurial environment as we simply don’t know what will resonate with the in group. And, their in-group cultures in Japan and Korea have a strong corporate undertone, especially in cities. It can make life feel restrictive and lacking joy-which turns off foreigners. There is a lot of depression, isolation, and suicide in both cultures. There relationship to sexuality also kills some of the joy of life. Another issue is that foreigners assume that Japan is more expensive than it really is. Housing and labor costs in many cases are less than Singapore. Korea and Japan both have a feeling of struggling to stay relevant, of having the best days behind them. SE Asia in contrast is in the middle of blossoming-an explosion of hope, possibility, and betterment. There is also much more impersonal warmth in SE Asia. Malays are nearly as soft and kind as Indonesians. Lastly, Malaysia and Singapore have lots of Chinese entrepreneurialism-as opposed to Korean and Japanese corporatism. The Chinese hustle makes for a juicier business world. Everyone can jump into the game. Note: Japan does have Okinawa and other laidback tropical islands, so heat isn’t much of a deciding factor.

From Malaysia ✌

Many Japanese migrate to US and want to be American But why if American (Or other Foreigner) Migrate to Japan not considered Japanese

Actually both cities are awesome. Its really hard to pick where to live between both for long term. But if have to choose, it would be KL but maybe SG 20% - 30% of the time.

Thanks for sharing your view of this. I agree that JP and SK are not very friendly or welcoming to foreigners. For me, Southeast Asia has not only been cheaper but also more friendly from the locals.

Jemput datang ke Malaysia! Mari singgah dan berkawan!

Why do you compare countries and capitals on the same level?

I have learnt so much through the internet than I actually did in school.

I wonder what the results will be of the Malaysian government's response to the pandemic? In terms of the economy, social cohesion, political situation, and also the level of freedoms within the country. I fully expect their borders to be closed or highly restricted for another 8 to 12 months. I know their vaccination programme is ongoing but don't know the level of take-up within the population. We are closely looking at the situation with a view to visiting later next year - not really expecting the MM2H social pass to reopen until 2023 - might apply for the Sarawak MM2H while we are over there.

In my fictional world, Malaysia is one of the best country in the world

Would love to live in Singapore if Michael can cool down the weather by 20 degrees and expand Singapore size 4x. Till then it is great to visit.

MY/SG have many things in common.. they were once under one federation,..not perfect and have pros and cons,.but indeed the best places to live..

Amazing country in the world..😍

Try Kuching. The relaxer version of Kuala Lumpur.

I love anime and manga so Japan is for me but you made two grest points in langauge and always treated as an outsider. I watch videos on people in Japan and it's true what you said about being an outsider. I also believe the getting PR and citizenship difficulty also could play into place. That's why there is demand for Malaysia but currently doesnt the MM2H is on hold? Also Micheal what about countries like Morroco, Tunisia?

Video idea: Is it possible to live an offshore/Nomad lifestyle with pets? E.g. a dog/cat

The reason many prefer Malaysia or Singapore over Japan and South Korea is because the first two countries rules does not treat your like a foreigner. For instance when you are a resident or expat in Malaysia and Singapore, you can open a local account, get debit and even credit cards. You can also get a local driving license and buy land and housing there. Thats something you cant do in Japan and Korea.

Malaysia and Singapore have been melting pots of diverse cultures over centuries. 😉 Same goes to contagious maritime Southeast Asia. Nobody is a foreigner here.

Which place is more lively ? Japan or Singapore ?

They just ordinary at SouthKorea/Japan.. But they can live like a King here with so many options for everythings n its way more cheaper compare to those 2 countries...

3:31 If you are a foreigner, Japanese and Koreans, especially among themselves, will usually call you a "gaijin" or "oeguk-saram" respectively - literally an outside person - regardless of how long you have been there or how well versed with the local culture.

Idk if it's me but living in sg I've seen lots and lots more Japanes recently. I think the last few times I went out, maybe 1/3 of the strangers I bumped into were Japanese. No idea why.

Malaysia government must improve integrity and eliminate bribery in administrative. So much money goes to politician pocket and sub-contractors caused non-quality infrastructures such as road, terminal, public toilet, etc have been built thus less attractive for tourist.

Yes true

Cheaper and easy access

all cheaper all easy,,fun travel ,,happy welcome msia

Can you use a foreign bank account for a Singaporean LLC?

I'm abit confuse about why people want to be japanese when they aren't.

If you can afford to live in Tokyo, Seoul or Singapore, why move out of the West in the first place?

Well malaysia is cheap except you are going to buy electronics and other imported products if we compare to average wages

For me, Japanese lifestyles are a bit stressful but I still love their cultures

Wow

According to his analysis, he didn't mention both Japan & South Korea had its war history with North America where Malaysia & Singapore don't seems to be involved. This may or may not applied to the reason of people preference.

Plenty more reasons! Housing option - both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur offer better housing IMO. You can find great houses in Tokyo and Seoul, sure, but they’re either rare or very very expensive. KL is especially good for modern apartments - also very low cost. Food - western + global cuisine just more casual and widely available in both Singapore and Malaysia. Not difficult to feel at home in both countries. Stares - You get the least stares in Singapore. You get slightly more stares in Kuala Lumpur, but generally very guileless ones. South Korea is worst! I cannot overstate the language issue enough. Try taking the subway to a suburb bank to open a bank account in person in Seoul, you will fail and the whole branch will be looking at you! In KL or Singapore you’d be fine even in the most remote of bank branches. Also most businesses’ default language is English, just feels so much more at home!

Canada, Russia, Greenland, Antarctica . . . you forgot about Alaska! :)

Although I'm a Weeb but Japan is a great place to visit but not to live.

I love Singapore, but it's way too hectic and expensive, so I feel that it's not ideal to live there long-term. Malaysia, on the other hand, seems much calmer and ideal for a long-term stay. However, my only concern is safety in Malaysia.

First reason is food of multple choice. Second the food quality is good and diverse. The third, it's up to you. I hate city living. Prefer the lax , Malaysian style. When younger, we need to seek more money. Getting older, we need a quiet place to relax.

This is very true. Japan & South Korea are homogenous countries. More than 90% of their populace is a single race. So, yes, any foreigner living in those countries will stick out like a sore thumb. Malaysia & Singapore, being British colonies are heavily influenced by western society, cultural norms and have large ties back to the west. Being welcoming is one thing, but when you have architecture, laws, land or property ownership & a society that already most of western culture and norms, it is very easy to set up over there and live a life like you do in the west, but with an oriental twist.

There's no such thing as a perfect city in this world. Every city in this world has its own uniqueness. It is just the matter of much we appreciate and comfortable with the uniquness. Plus, how much we can tolerate with the things that we are not comfortable with. If the scores for these two are high enough for us, for sure we shall stay in the city for as long as we wanted.

the cost of living in a tiny little apartment made for ants and the daily expenses are extraordinary.

#LoveMalaysia

Tax bill>cost of living then Singapore. Cost of living>tax bill Malaysia. Plenty of Japanese & Korean retirees in Malaysia already with Businessmen having more success in Singapore. Funny i plan to move to Cyprus/Eastern Europe & I feel i will experience the same thing you did In Japan (Maybe worse being Asian in post covid world). Japan/Taiwan are my last resort plans if i make it past the growth phase of my business if i face too much open hostility (Tax bill may not be so much of a concern then). Even though i dont know the languages at least they wont know until i open my mouth lol .

jepan 😍

KL is best.

Where are things with Malaysia these days? I heard that MM2H program ended last year. What is the current citizenship program in Malaysia?

Yeah tax is deciding factor among high net worth individuals. You hear about billionaires moving to Singapore and maybe Malaysia but never Japan or South Korea. I prefer Japan but the tax is as high as an most English speaking commonwealth countries.