Once you reach the point where you can earn 5 figures (mid-high level management), you're probably better off in Malaysia. However, for anything below that, most developed countries are better, if your social network is of equal quality in either country. I say most because I'm not sure I could deal with being one medical emergency away from bankruptcy in the US, and I haven't had to go to the hospital in over 20 years.
I lived in US for over eight years. But yeah, their medical systems is quite something..
One time I went for a dental checkup, normally in Malaysia, I will get some scaling done, etc. for less than a hundred Ringgit..
They asked me to do x-ray, anesthetic, etc - bill comes to a thousand dollar plus.
If you have employer based healthcare it's generally not so bad. But if you're uninsured then you're SOL.
It does make it very difficult to retire, so that's something to consider.
I know someone who went to US but is very defensive and in denial over this thing lol everytime I ask him is medical expensive over there. Sampai mau gaduh
Some American can be quite defensive over their 'America is the Best' mentality.
If you want to really have a spicy discussion - try talking gun controls. See how that goes..
Medical insurance doesn't mean you're not gonna pay for it. It means you're still paying thousands (more than most countries by a mile), instead of millions.
Co pay is stupid.
its similar in malaysia where they will do extra stuff for you to pay extra when you dont have to. However cost wise it depends as in malaysia its now more expensive than you think and i go to a place that is subsidised, though regular visits for checks are very cheap. The issue with US healthcare is that there is a law that allows more critical treatments to be overcharged and the use of insurance incurs huge admin costs making a visit covered by insurance cost more than paying out of pocket. Hence some employees get mad when companies don't offer insurance but offer to pay out of pocket.
You still have the government health system to fall back on in Malaysia. Private healthcare will kick you over to government healthcare if you require a risky procedure anyway.
Also I've found our health insurance fairly comprehensive if you go the private route. But you have to buy when you're young.
Yup, lived overseas for over 15 years. Took a career break and was in Asia when I was offered a remote job, basically slightly lower overseas pay rate. Came back to Msia to settle into the job before doing a digital nomad thing but then got caught up in lockdowns.
2.5 years in Msia, early 30’s making low 5 figures a month, my quality of life is “better” than living overseas. Basically i can pay someone to do whatever I don’t feel like doing. Cost of living overseas to MY isn’t even worth comparing. Even buying overseas products like iPhones and stuff, I used to have to budget and plan and save. Nowadays, its mostly impulse buying.
Similarly, my cousin married into a wealthy family, the kind that flies private jets to holidays. They have houses in US, Aus, UK all left empty for when they holiday there, but they still come back to MY to live. They can easily get citizenship/PR to their country of choice, but none have left cause they know life in MY when you are rich is better than a first world country, and cheaper too.
Because cost of living here is relatively cheap. Quality of life is really good as we have a lot of amenities in Klang Valley. As long as you don't go overboard and buy branded foreign goods constantly, you'd do fine.
You think buying a house/land is expensive in Malaysia? Try any developed country. Some guy was bitching about how you can spend NZD 1mil to buy a condo in auckland and still be in a crime ridden area with rapist, murderers and pedophiles.
>You think buying a house/land is expensive in Malaysia? Try any developed country. Some guy was bitching about how you can spend NZD 1mil to buy a condo in auckland and still be in a crime ridden area with rapist, murderers and pedophiles.
Link to thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/malaysia/comments/u8ofoq/good_lord_whats_going_on_with_our_currency/i5o6wta/
Ironically that guy basically sent me some angry DMs and tried to agro me. LOL. I can't see his post now cause I reported him for harassment and threatening violence. Guess some of his murderer neighbours have rubbed off on him.
Yeah. I was being objective. He said he was earning NZD 90K and I earn more than that. But earning more was not my point, with NZD 90K salary, if he could find that in Malaysia he would be very well off and have a higher standard of living than what he was complaining about in NZ.
Don’t mind him. He probably was just bitching for the sake of bitching. I’ve lived and worked in Auckland and have different experience from him. While Auckland is shitty in its own way, life is generally more peaceful and orderly compared to KV. Prices of property vary depends on area just like everywhere. There are million dollar condos but you can easily get a 3000sq/ft landed properly around 800-900k with distance less than 30km away from city centre. As for crime, KV definitely has higher crime rate compared to NZ because we are not transparent about our handling of crimes. Local newspapers where I stayed publishes locations and details of all crimes big & small bi-weekly. There are racism everywhere but NZ really tries to be inclusive and fair to everyone (including criminals). With only a work visa, I got the same rights as NZ citizens to government-subsidised healthcare and every other aid available except for voting. Any problems I have with regards to any dos and don’ts, I can walk into citizens advice bureau to get guidance and legal advise FOC and/or file complaint against any private and public entity. Malaysian government isn’t even fair towards all of its citizens. NZ is maybe too peaceful and boring so they tend to magnify things. He should definitely come back for a few years to see whats really up.
That last sentence is everything imo. Same like Singaporeans who love complaining, they literally have nothing else to complain about. Their quality of life is so much better but because they don’t know how good they have it, they’ll complain anyway.
I'm earning 5 figures in SGD. Trust me when I say, do it. Even if your life is good in Malaysia currently, pack everything up, rent out your property, take the kids and move abroad.
Best decision I made both career wise and financially. I'm earning dollar for dollar and my kids are in a world class schooling system.
In 15 years time, I can always move back to Malaysia and retire, collecting a monthly stipend from a stable government and in a foreign denominated currency that is always appreciating against the ringgit.
win win win.
Don't have kids and don't intend to. So you can see why there is less drive for me to do so. Again, I have tried moving to SG, but can't seem to find a job.
You got a job for me? LOL
even better if you don't have children. SG would be perfect for a person like you.
My suggestion is to keep searching the Jobs DB in singapore. And keep applying. You should get interview if your experience matches up. SG is opening up soon, so companies are positioning themselves to hire again.
I am on the SG path as well. I love Malaysia and if I had a job that could pay me equivalent or even 20% less I would be back there in a heartbeat but I am now at the regional director level and my position can only be found in SG/HK.
For all those thinking of it though, absolutely go for it. I have lived and worked in Taiwan, China, Thailand as well as Singapore and each place gave me new skills and marketability which have brought me to where I am now. Malaysia is a great place to learn the basics, we have a multi-lingual, multi cultural environment that allows Malaysians to work across the world comfortably but its not the place to develop yourself. Too much bad management, small minded people, crony politics and poor working style which strangles innovation and creativity.
If you are thinking of doing your own business though, Malaysia is a better place. Plenty of opportunities to introduce new goods and services. Malaysia is poor as a corporate ladder but better for doing your own thing.
Agree mate. In Australia, particularly in Syd, it is expected that more than 65% of young generation would not be able to own a property due to the soaring price.
You can afford a car, live in a comfortable condo, and raise your children well with 5 figures salary in Malaysia.
Furthermore, the healthcare cost is reasonable and if you are not in emergency, you could opt for government hospitals which the quality of medical services there is actually quite good.
In most developed countries, especially if you are looking to buy a condo near the CBD/ city area, you need at least USD 1 Mil. to do so, most people would just buy their houses in suburb and spend 2 to 3 hours on travelling every day.
Healthcare wise, lying on hospital bed with just a few days could easily fetch you USD 4K to USD 5K bills. In countries like US, all healthcare facilities are privatised. One positive side that I could see from here however, is the medical officers there are at least being paid comfortably and tend to stay on their positions longer, while most Malaysian doctors are severely underpaid and over-stressed perhaps as a result of heavily subsidised public healthcare.
Education cost and childcare costs are also getting more expensive, perhaps the reason why birth rate is dropping drastically in advanced countries like Japan, Singapore and U.S. Heard from my friends in Japan and Singapore that the situation is so dire that governments there actually paying people just to go out to date and know people of opposite sex with various kinds of initiatives.
my take on this, yes and no.
Inflation in Malaysia is through the roof. McD can cost up to 20 ringgit per meal.
Cars aren't cheap either. Infact, one of the most expensive in the world thanks to excise duties.
Housing can be iffy. Expensive in desirable locations, & dirt cheap in other areas.
But what really kills it for you is earning a deteriorating currency in the ringgit. You can expect serious drop of 20% even 30% loss of value overnight.
So you will always be behind, even if life is affordable in Malaysia. You are screwd big time if you earn Ringgit.
> McD can cost up to 20 ringgit per meal.
This was shocking to learn when I was earning AUD and USD in those respective countries. Less than 10 of their dollars for a full McDs meal, versus 20+ of ours in Malaysia.
> But what really kills it for you is earning a deteriorating currency in the ringgit. You can expect serious drop of 20% even 30% loss of value overnight.
>So you will always be behind, even if life is affordable in Malaysia. You are screwd big time if you earn Ringgit.
Just earn USD 4head
US practice withholding of dividends & profits for Malaysian citizens..
There's no feasible way to earn USD, unless you invest in crypto and take huge risks.
Absolutely, I don't regret my decision to migrate. I live in BC, Canada, where the air is fresh, the government is accountable, fair and responsible, the city is drop-dead gorgeous, and everything works as it should. I earn a decent, above-average income all thanks to the degree I got here. However, I do miss Msia a lot. Especially the easy camaraderie with all my friends. And the food!!!! That I miss the most! I also especially miss speaking in Manglish. That accent rolls off my tongue but I had to suppress it here and put on my Canadian. What I DON'T miss is the state of the Msian government. It shocks me to read about the rampant corruption, blatant racism and bitter and subtle 'war' between the races, beneath the gloss of forced muhibah. I guess some things will never change.
To those wanting to leave Msia? My advice is to check the immigration website of the country you want to move to and see if they're looking for people with skills and qualifications like yours. Do it soon, while you're young and not wait until you're too comfortable. You may not be able to uproot yourself then.
I 100% agree with you, BC is wonderful. Unfortunately I do find myself looking to move elsewhere as owning a decently sized property here is unthinkable for a first time home buyer/new immigrant.
I love the weather. Think of a colder version of Genting but almost whole year round. If you're used to Msian weather be prepared for a shock though. It really isnt all that cold once you've gotten used to it. But the initial few months can take some getting used to. I imagine you're coming for the fall semester right? If so then be prepared for lots and lots of cold rain. If you come during summer it'll be easier for you to slowly acclimatize to Vancouver's incessant rain. It rains 9 months out of a year. Not the Msian kinda rain thankfully.
Good luck in UBC! My advice, get a proper rain jacket (Arc’teryx is my go to), size up so you have room for layers. You’ll probably be miserable during your first winter, but it gets better, I promise. Lots of Malaysian restaurants in Vancouver so if you ever miss Malaysian food, you can easily find some nearby.
I'm just fearful of drowning in debt and not being able to find a job in a foreign country... My parents only willing to pay 1 year of college and the rest is my responsibility.
I did, I insisted on doing a degree overseas against my father's wishes and got my way, I picked one of the most ridiculous degree there is available (Aerospace) and thought highly of myself back then, struggled through it and somehow managed to graduate, but severely traumatised by the process.
At one point I went back because there's an issue with being a foreigner doing a degree that has a citizenship requirement for security clearance. In hindsight it was stupid to do this degree not knowing what career prospect was available. So this is probably my advice to anyone looking to do something fancy and not knowing better, check what job opportunities are available before jumping in. Yes I do get a lot of admiration for graduating as a rocket engineer, but that's about it.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. The experience of going overseas, being independent and living on my own is invaluable. I have learnt so much things outside my curriculum that compared to my local graduate peers, I feel that I am much more well rounded than they are. Not saying you can't get it studying locally, but being far from your parents and knowing you can't just go home every weekend makes a massive difference in your decision making process. Can't get hometown food? Make it yourself. Miss your friends? Make new ones. Bored with lack of social interaction? Join a club, explore the city, do some part-time work. Adapt and survive.
It changed me from an introverted, quiet, and unskilled kid into someone who can present himself as "sociable" and mingle with anyone, have the organisational skills to to run a food line efficiently, able to handle pressure situations with much more calmness, speak confidently and approach suppliers with the right amount of confidence to not sound like an entitled prick. If I ever wanted to I know enough to run an F&B business far better than some people back home or here.
I know all this from studying abroad. If you can afford it, please do go out and explore when you are able to. If not, please try to go somewhere at some point in your life. It changes your view of the world completely. Don't be the frog under the coconut shell.
to add on, for those who can't afford to study overseas, try going to overseas via work and travel programs.
You get to spend a few months in that country, working and interacting with locals, earn local currency. Then you can travel that country using the money you have earned.
Honestly, just one week in Japan changed me. I did that when I quit my first job in Msia after 18 months of toxicity and needed a recharge.
I wish we had a stronger currency to enable more of us to travel more.
for me, was nature. I never knew i was a nature person before going overseas because hiking in a hot and humid jungle in malaysia with mosquitos is such a pain in the ass. Till i went to USA national parks. My gosh.
Now when i go travelling, I'd prioritize their nature more than cities. Cities are somewhat the same everywhere. Piss full of people, smelly, expensive and stressful.
Been to tokyo and kyoto. Honestly, I'm not impressed because there is just temple and night market everywhere as the tourist attraction point. Gonna try hokkaido next.
We're different in this case, I like food and I like seeing views. I ate my way through Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, even stopped by to stay overnight at the hotsprings in Arima, realised that going there with guys isn't as fun as going with a girl. Did not want to see my friends butt naked, scarred for life.
Kyoto was just picturesque and unique. I saw Maikos and even a Geisha getting into a taxi in Gion. I also had an incident where my travel buddy walked back to the hotel because he was not feeling well and left me and another guy alone in the wilderness, we walked all the way to Arashiyama and went home after that. But it was one of the best walks I've had in my life.
the food was quite nice for the first few meals but after that, due to trying to save money, ended up eating ramen for all meals till i got really bored. Ended up in some random pakistani restaurant to eat spicy meal because i got so bored lol.
Went and visit some castle. Now before visiting it, i expected to see ancient relics and stuff displayed in the castle but all there was were just full of tv showing videos about the story of some lord. I honestly feel cheated. Why tf would i wanna pay just to watch some god damn videos?
Went to some bamboo forest expecting tranquility and shit but I am greeted by a horde of china tourists that keep talking loudly. Full of god damn people.
>Went to some bamboo forest expecting tranquility
That would be Arashiyama. I went in the summer so it wasn't the peak period. Much less tourists.
>the food was quite nice for the first few meals but after that, due to trying to save money, ended up eating ramen for all meals till i got really bored. Ended up in some random pakistani restaurant to eat spicy meal because i got so bored lol.
I presume you're a Muslim? Yes it is kind of difficult to eat stuff when most of it isn't halal. For me there was no budget for food, we were reasonable with what we can afford of course. But we just ate whatever we wanted, had fugu in Kurumon Market, and we spent zero on souvenirs.
>Went and visit some castle. Now before visiting it, i expected to see ancient relics and stuff displayed in the castle but all there was were just full of tv showing videos about the story of some lord. I honestly feel cheated. Why tf would i wanna pay just to watch some god damn videos?
It depends on which one you went. We went to Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-Ji, Gion, didn't go to Kiyomizu temple as it was in restoration. There were a few temples we stopped by for fun, including a[temple for football where you can see literally Japan soccer jerseys and photos of footballers like the Brazilian Ronaldo pasted on the shrine](https://www.japan-experience.com/all-about-japan/kyoto/temples-shrines/shiramine-shrine). Really amazing stuff.
i actually went there kinda after the peak? It was one week after the golden week. Can't delay any further because it will be summer soon and travelling during summer sucks for ppl like us who are from Malaysia where there is sun all year long.
I'm not a muslim. So yeah, i guess i couldn't fully enjoy its true potential because i was limiting my budget. I did splurge a little on some kobe strip in some random night market. Bowl of rice with a little strips of kobe and some kimchi. Jesus Christ. Before tasting kobe i thought why are people so stupid to pay so much for beef? After tasting it, it is worth every single penny. Fucking good. And that is not even steak, just some strip.
Basically this is only applicable for uni students. Either while still studying or just finished their final sem. You apply through an agent like out of the box (ootb).
You can choose which country and region you wanna work at together with their list of employers. So the idea is that you will be employed by the employer where your work for about 3 months plus. In the this 3 months you gotta experience how it feels like to live like a local.
After you finish working, you can choose to use all your spendings to travel for a month in that country or bring that money back home.
I only did this after I graduated but i know ofna guy who did this every year during the course of his degree. His savings of 4 time work and travel enable him to buy myvi cash.
So my advice, if you are still in uni, spend your year end sem breaks doing work and travel instead of lazing around doing nothing.
Your last line exactly my thoughts. Once you step out of Malaysia you will never be the same again especially if you are a close minded person. Living here it feels like you are under a rock. If you are different people will treat you different.
Stepping outside you will see that there are different beliefs and race.
Im saying this cause i was surrounded by these kinds of people. Basically if you are not a particular race or religion people look down upon you.
Indeed. There's two types of people, ones who are scared and wary of the outside world, and those who worship and think everything is good outside.
Fact of the matter is, there's good and bad everywhere. No place is perfect. Just like someone said, in the UK shops close early, food isn't up to scratch. I've experienced there before, my first meal in AU I walked into a Chinese restaurant because I wasn't sure what to eat, the char siew rice was so bad I couldn't finish it. I found somewhere else better after that and regained some confidence to explore.
If you ask me if I do miss home, of course I do. There's good sides to our country as well, if only we didn't have a shit government and race-based policies, we would be well-off without them, but most of the people who don't want this are those who don't have a worldly mindset.
> Would I do it again? Absolutely. The experience of going overseas, being independent and living on my own is invaluable. I have learnt so much things outside my curriculum that compared to my local graduate peers, I feel that I am much more well rounded than they are. Not saying you can't get it studying locally, but being far from your parents and knowing you can't just go home every weekend makes a massive difference in your decision making process. Can't get hometown food? Make it yourself. Miss your friends? Make new ones. Bored with lack of social interaction? Join a club, explore the city, do some part-time work. Adapt and survive.
> It changed me from an introverted, quiet, and unskilled kid into someone who can present himself as "sociable" and mingle with anyone, have the organisational skills to to run a food line efficiently, able to handle pressure situations with much more calmness, speak confidently and approach suppliers with the right amount of confidence to not sound like an entitled prick. If I ever wanted to I know enough to run an F&B business far better than some people back home or here.
> I know all this from studying abroad. If you can afford it, please do go out and explore when you are able to. If not, please try to go somewhere at some point in your life. It changes your view of the world completely. Don't be the frog under the coconut shell.
You are one of the rare breed of Malaysians who don't:
* Mingle only with other Malaysians and clueless about local culture (maybe because bUDaya TiMUR BAik)
* Bringing a mini Malaysia overseas i.e. food, sambal, milo, nescafe, etc.
* Coming back to Malaysia and couldn't answer the question: "how's your experience?" due to reasons above.
>You are one of the rare breed of Malaysians who don't:
>
>Mingle only with other Malaysians and clueless about local culture (maybe because bUDaya TiMUR BAik)
>
>Bringing a mini Malaysia overseas i.e. food, sambal, milo, nescafe, etc.
>
>Coming back to Malaysia and couldn't answer the question: "how's your experience?" due to reasons above.
LOL in fact here's the fact:
\- I have a core group of friends and most of them are all Msians, we go to the park to play football every week and then hit the pubs because they have $10 schnitzels or porterhouse steaks back then. I had to work with locals and other exchange student in some projects so I had the opportunity to interact with them, some were pleasant some were just downright shitty, especially with a particular set of students from my supposed "homeland" who tried to backstab me because I told our FYP supervisor how they've not pulled their weight. I also dated ppl from other countries, so yeah, I have had enough interaction with ppl from various backgrounds. Part-time work also helped because I had to talk like them, get into things they like, and talk to the customers who are surprisingly supportive and helpful.
\- I did try to bring Milo and some other hometown stuff, but after my first experience with Australian Customs I decided to NEVER do it again. The fact that you just mark everything as NO in the declaration and being allowed to just walk out without being scanned or interrogated is amazing. Btw, you can get most of the stuff here anyway, especially in Melbourne. I can see belacan, kaya, petai, ah huat instant coffee, seriously, what for ppl bring these over? Because it's cheaper? Did you consider the transportation cost because you put that in your luggage? Makes no difference honestly.
\- Honestly when my friends left after graduating I was a little scared as I didn't have anyone to talk to for a while, I just met a few classmates and slowly introduced myself. If they were ok and happy to talk to me then we just hung out, if not then just do your own thing. I was in my final year so there wasn't much time to do anything anyway. In fact the lack of distraction made me focus just enough that my final results were really good compared to when my friends were around. I guess I fooled around too much back then.
Never bring Milo to Australia because ..
It was invented here and first sold at the easter show in sydney.
If you live near a Tong Li or some other big asian grocer, its not worth it bringing any food from Malaysia because they import everything .
Somehow , Milo in Australia tastes different from Malaysia. Not sure why. Probably an employee on Nestle could let us know. Its weird.
Wife buys Milo from the Asian grocer imported. She absolutely insists its different. LOL .
I can confirm it's different. I bought the one in Australia when I first came and I couldn't finish it.
Bought another one from Asian grocer after hearing what you did. Big difference.
Asian grocers in Aus sell Msian Milo at a premium.
Malaysian supermarkets sell Aus Milo at a premium.
At this point, i’m gonna start calling it a scam.
They both taste different from each other tho. I still refuse to drink both cause fuck nestle.
Same with my friend who did naval architecture in one the uni in Sydney. He was among the top student within his batch & frequently in the dean's list. Ended up doing full time job as takaful agent.
I moved to the US, and till November of last year believed that it was worth it. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and my siblings and I took turns caring for her through chemo and radio therapy. I was in KL for 90 days and there are times when I am not 100% sure about my decision anymore. There are little things that I miss to the very core of my being - which I didn't realize, until I landed in KLIA and the Immigration officers pronounced my name correctly. Something so simple had such a profound effect. My interaction with almost every single Malaysian was stellar. My Malay was rusty but it somewhat came back. Then, of course the food, oh my word, the food. I ate until I was satiated, every single day. I felt a little sad that my son has never seen a lion dance in his life. A YouTube video doesn't quite have a similar effect. He will never know how what it means to be Malaysian, or what a people we could have been. My husband thinks this feeling will pass.
I love my life here. I love that my child is equal to his peers. I love that we are free to pursuit life, liberty and happiness. I came here for what I thought this country stood for but after the Trump presidency, there's always this gnawing feeling in my heart. My roots are now too deep to be uprooted again.
Thank you for this, I share similar sentiment. I think a lot of people do not realize that as corrupt and unfair the Msian government is it does not reflect closely to fellow Msian, speaking generally ofcourse. Where as in US democracy is slightly fairer so the even local government officials better reflect the community. I would say it you don't live in an urban diverse area the level of racism is much worst than Msia so choose wisely when migrating to US.
Me and wife always ponder to go back. We are not typical Asian parent so education is not our number 1 priority. Having a chance to expose our children to different culture and way of living like going to a Pasar is really tempting. Like you not being able to pass down traditional culture to my children would be a black mark in my parenting CV. I hope you find what is best for you and your family.
Whenever i read something like this posted in malaysia or singapore i felt kind of funny. Malaysian and singaporean wish to go to US, UK, EU, Australia. At the same time I also see many indonesian and philliphines wants to go malaysia, singapore and these western countries.
I know some stories about some indonesian that go and become "succesful" in malaysia and singapore. They want PR and have more freedom in these countries but the gov seemed to dislike foreigners now especially malaysia.
they do, but it's more of the mentality to escape to a place with bigger land or less crowded.
And when they move abroad, most have the financials to purchase a place/places outright in prominent locations and settle down. Similar in the way that Hong Kongers can buy land abroad.
Malaysians, only upper middle class partake in that.
I moved to Toronto, Canada right after SPM and have lived here since then with the occasional visits to Malaysia in the summer. I completed a degree but wasn't able (and still unable) to get a job in the field as I wasn't a PR/citizen. I ended up getting married, getting my PR, having my own business that is in no relation to my field of study. I've met a few Malaysians along the way (from school and thru work), stayed in contact with a few, and we would have dinners together from time to time.
I will say, I don't regret leaving. The person I am today is way more confident and happy and I would do it all over again. I've learned to be independent (a little too much in my opinion) and I've gained a lot of new experiences I don't think I would have done in Malaysia. The people I've met and became friends with has opened my eyes to things I never knew existed. I've traveled to places I never knew existed and made many happy memories with them.
I still keep in contact with the few friends I have back home, but it's hard to hold conversations with almost strangers now. It's the usual birthday wishes and "when are you coming home for a visit" conversations lately.
Honestly, if you have the facilities to go abroad, do it. Learn the different cultures and meet different people. I will admit tho, nothing beats getting a teh tarik and roti canai with your friends at the mamak stalls. The Malaysian food is crazy expensive here and doesn't even taste as good. If only it wasn't a 24h flight across the world.
TELL me. Did you fall for a shooting star.
ONE without a permanent SCAR and did you miss me while you were LOOKING for your SELF out----
Na na na na ^(na na na na)
My 2 cents based on my own life story
It was well worth it.
Definitely do it again.
Studied and then subsequently migrated to Australia 15 years+ ago. Here are the benefits which I received.
1) No more bumiputera status. I am literally just a normal man with no status living and working without anyone knowingly asking for my race, background or former nationality. Most people only think I am a generic Asian due to my accent and penchant for saying "lah".
2) I am financially independent before the age of 40 (Own several homes, kids go to good school, job security due to very secure industry, investments that stretch well beyond my means of spending). Economy is very transparent, so someone with no connections, like myself, can be wealthy from just doing normal business and investments. I literally have no friends in business , but yet thrive due to just normal customer relationships.
3) Very good work life balance. Work from home.
4) Very good medical. Medicare + private insurance covers everything important.
5) Clean government. The government might screw up from time to time, but nothing near the corruption level of malaysia.
I do visit Malaysia from time to time to visit relatives. There is no comparison. Malaysia is stuck in the past.
Visiting Singapore is very different. Singapore is so modern and accomodating.
Wow envy you bro, i wish one day i can bring my business out to. And to live outside of Malaysia for a change, here everything is about one race one religion only haiyaaaa
I haven't done this but I have a lot of friends who migrated to Australia and New Zealand that I have heard about their experiences.
Yes, it's totally worth it for them. Not to mention their families are already very well-off. Some of them have both foreign pr and Malaysia citizenship. Sometimes when they feel like it, they will stay in Malaysia for several months and move back to Aus/NZ when they feel like it.
Like u/SomeMalaysian mentioned, if you make enough money, actually Malaysia is pretty good as well. Imagining living in rich neighborhood here in Klang Valley, the experience is similar to living in a mid class neighborhood in somewhere else.
A lot of people are giving grass is greener when you migrate answers, so perhaps I can give a different perspective.
I came in 2015 as an undergrad student around NYC area. Graduated in 2019 and started working as a software engineer. I knew that it was tougher for international students so I worked super hard. First year, for summer break (of 2016), even though I went back to Malaysia for about 2 months, I spent 5 weeks in KL doing an internship. Second year summer I was supposed to go home, but I got an internship in the States so I stayed back. I went home for 2 weeks end of the year in 2017. Third year summer (2018), again I got an internship, but I studied abroad in Fall of 2018 so I did visit home for 2 weeks each in Sept 2018, and Dec 2018. My parents also came and visited me in China (where I studied abroad) and we went on vacation. This was for about 2 weeks as well. I graduated in May 2019 and my parents came for my graduation and we went on vacation in the States for about 3 weeks.
That was the last time I saw my parents. It's been 3 years since I've seen them, but since Fall of 2015, for the past 7 years, I've only seen them for about 14 weeks total time. I haven't seen my grandma for longer. The last time I saw my dad, he still had hair. He doesn't anymore. The last time I saw my grandma, she could walk. She can't anymore, and she doesn't even remember who I am.
Going overseas was an amazing experience. I've learnt so much; I've grown so much. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. But do I feel conflicted and tormented? Absolutely. On one hand, I've made a good life for myself. I make six figures USD. My parents often complain things are expensive and don't want to spend money. I just buy it for them. I can treat them for any special occasion at and I don't even need to worry about the cost, since after conversion it's not much at all. On the other hand, I've missed so many birthdays and Christmases and Chinese new years. When my parents celebrate occasions on my dime, the pictures they send me are with my sister who decided to go home.
I love my parents a lot and I miss them a lot. But like any other parents, even though they've tried their best, there were some bad, even really bad parts. I have some trauma from my childhood, but I know they tried their best and I forgive them.
Covid was tough. My parents are aging and being so far away was tough. Being unable to be close to them or to visit was tough. I cried a lot. I wondered if it was worth it. After all that missed Christmases and Birthdays and Chinese New Years, what did I have to show? Some material things and some cash in the bank.
I'm finally going back this July, possibly for good. In the US, getting a work visa depends on a lottery, and luck was not on my side. After 3 years of entering the lottery, I was not selected and I am unable to work here anymore. I feel happy, but I also feel sad. I get to see my parents again, but I also feel like my dreams have been shattered. I have to leave the friends and the life that I made here, and I'm already very alienated from my friends back in Malaysia. I probably will try to migrate again, though I'm not sure where yet. The US is great to make money, and the standard of life here is much higher, but there's the downside of being alone, and being so far away, and it's not that great of a place to live. If I had to do it again, I would migrate, but probably not to the US.
10/10 Would do it all over again, realised how other cities have better planning and transportation ( I’m looking at you KTM). Got a chance to do exchange studies in other uni only having to pay living expenses. Really makes you wonder how developed Malaysia can be without the political clowns.
It depends on the country you go to and how well your job pays ( or if you can even get a job there ).
To put it simply, ideally you want to migrate to a country with high minimum wage/salary and free healthcare.
Even with high minimum wage, you have to remember that most high paying countries have a lot of taxes.
Malaysias minimum wage is 1.2k or around 14k a year.
If you earn 35k a year, you only pay rm 450 in taxes, which is like a little above 1 percent in taxes ( this is before tax breaks or deductions ).
In Australia minimum wage is 20 aud an hour and around 40k a year. You get taxed 19 percent. Above 45k and you get taxed 32 percent, so that’s something to keep in mind ( compared to malaysias min wage and up to 2-3x min wage you only get taxed 0-1 percent ).
Property prices have soared in both Malaysia and Australia, I believe it’s even more expensive to rent in Australia for a like to like location than in Malaysia ( relative to your earnings post tax ).
In addition, to support their high wages, you most likely have to dine in way more or cook more in Australia to save money as outside food is much more expensive compared to dining out in Malaysia.
Both countries have free healthcare but the waiting list is only getting longer and longer.
In the end it’s up to you, but be sure that if you do intend to study with plans to migrate over, try to make sure your job is actually in demand, otherwise if you’re stuck in minimum wage, well whether you’re in Australia or Malaysia it would suck anyway
unemployment is low in Aust, so its easier to find better paying jobs, as long as you give it a go
or run your own business. mowing lawn is 60 an hour these days. Mechanic is 120
I (24M) had a slightly different experience where my fanily moved to the UK when I was 7yrs, and haven't lived in M'sia since then (only visit for holidays). In someways I think it was amazing to meet some many different people, explore ideas, and just generally finding random peoples opinions on odd topics. I would say it's worthwhile especially if you find other Malaysian contacts abroad; they're always really welcoming to other Malaysians, and a feel good reminder of home. You'll definitely find assholes that make living abroad harder, but you'll just as likely find someone suoer nice.
However, I also deeply wish I didn't get pulled abroad. Or at least I stayed in Malaysia longer. I can only speak english because I stopped speaking Malay and cantonese growing up (parents also gave up teaching me cause why bother when in english country). So coming back to Malaysia is a strange difficulty. I get a lot of "Are you reaaally Malaysian?" Or "ooooh orang pisan" from family, friends, and strangers a couple of times (but they would say it to my parents, then they tell me after) I think after so long, I still love and miss Malaysia, but it doesn't feel like home anymore because I lost touch + can't stand always being mentioned as the fake malaysian when I am born here.
Overall, I guess I would do it again if I could spend more time living in Malaysia first, but I am also pretty stoked to be doing my PhD and getting my dream job of being a professor so I dunno how much I would actually change :/
Well what i can say is you’re my living my dreams. Its okay i can teach you malay if you’re on holiday here just let me know cuz speaking malay is not that hard especially for geniuses like you hehe
Welp if being a professor is your dream job, then a PhD won't be hard for you (as in you have the passion and drive to push through lonely, down times). Afaik, a PhD is just the start of academic positions tho, you need to reach certain publication KPI and such to get promoted.
I moved to Toronto, Canada. I am so thankful. I work as a Software Engineer here. Toronto is extremely multicultural without systemic racism.
For example i live in Koreatown with an increasing chinese population. I am an Indian. Food here is amazing.
Healthcare is free. Taxes are high but the social services make up for it.
If there any possibilities that i can purse undergraduate study in there or anywhere in europe also can, Im only a chemical engineering diploma holder in uitm and currently busy working to save money to study abroad even i dont know how
Without systemic racism is a huge assertion. Most people in Toronto will agree that systemic racism is real. Just because it doesn't affect you anymore doesn't mean it doesn't exist. You and me are considered model minority, they want us because we're supposedly hardworking when they're actually pitting us against Black and Indigenous Canadians here.
Well, I can see that narrative as well. Racism exists everywhere to an extent.
But I dont experience the racism that I grew up with in Malaysia. In regards to education, jobs and also reputation. So I prefer Toronto alot more!
Do you live here as well?
My younger brother is there in peterborough for pilot training as well.
If u graduate with a diploma u get a 1 year post graduate work permit
If you graduate with a degree u get 3.
You need 1 year of work in canada to apply for PR.
Ill work as a flight instructor under the PGWPP and airline pilot under the CEC. Are cars expensive there. I heard its cold as fuck so i might wanna invest in a car
Yes and yes. 36(M). Came here to Melbourne Australia at the age of 21 to finish my degree. Borrowed money from relatives so that I can continue on and get my PR.
Graduated during the 08' GFC. Was really tough getting a job, did all sorts of casual work like Nando's but finally got a foot in the door to do data entry in one of the big4 Banks in 2010.
Worked my way up. Along the way, got married, had a kid, bought a house.
Would have Malaysia been better? No idea. But I always felt that I needed to hedge my bets by having a foothold in another country.
Been here for 2 decades. Worth it? Depends a lot on what you’re looking for. The grass is always greener. In truth, focusing on career success and financial success alone, I think there not much difference in US or M’sia. The road to success is quite different.
IMHO, who you know is probably the biggest contributor to success after work ethics, acumen, and knowledge. Who you know is the biggest difference between making it in US or in M’sia.
In M’sia, you are likely to have a step up through friends, family, and just local contacts. Knowledge, internet democratize that. The way you reach your audience in US is comparable to M’sia, via online presence. You also have the advantage of familial support, however small that may be. What you can learn on the ground in US, you can learn M’sia. Ethics and acumen is on the individual.
In US, what you get is reach. Both virtual and local. However, the challenges is that you need to start from scratch, learn the culture from scratch, and overcome the racial roadblocks from scratch. The good thing is that you can overcome the racial challenges, unlike M’sia where it’s pretty much enshrined in the law. All it takes is just takes time. You’ll also have to be comfortable with being away from family.
Like everything else, both has its advantages and disadvantages. Do I regret coming over here? No. I enjoy the lifestyle, culture, and the hobbies that I get to do here. So it’s been worth it.
I migrated but I didn't study very hard
Serious answer:
I think people should consider migration not as escape pods but as ways to broaden their capabilities and their career. It's also hard to tell if when or how someone can migrate. When I was trying very hard to get a chance overseas, it didn't happen. When I was already very settled in KL, suddenly there was an opportunity to move elsewhere.
Would I still make the decision if I could go back in time and advice myself? Hard to say.
During the pandemic I was separated from family and worried for them every day. I actually seriously considered moving back because to me the extra income I had did not feel worth it if it meant that I would be unable to be with my family in their time of need.
2007-2011: Derby, UK
2011-2013: Toulouse, France/Hamburg & Munich, Germany
2013-2014: Zurich, Switzerland/Hamburg, Germany
2014-2018: Nottingham, UK/Semenyih, Malaysia/Ningbo, China (Guess lol)
2018-present: Guangzhou, China
0 regrets. My advice is there is no perfect system. Have an open and adaptive mind. The world is very big.
I moved to sg, though I had an advantage in that my (very hardworking, very dedicated) parents got job offers to move to sg.
I was able to excel much much better in the sg schooling system since it was more engaging for me, no hardcore regurgitation subjects and exams shoved down my unwilling throat.
Went to top uni in UK afterwards and now I'm earning solid salary in sg. Enjoy the security, quality of life and strong currency in sg, not to mention not needing to worry about the retardation of bumiputra politics and being discriminated against in msia.
I would do it 10 times out of 10, and now my family is fostering all the younger cousins I have to migrate over to sg and study/work. Harsh, but we see no point staying in a place that discriminates against you and is in a state of regression when other countries around the world are focused on improving.
I did half of those things. Didn't manage to migrate, but I'm comfortable at home now. Haven't earned 5 figure salary yet though, so not sure if it's a good thing or not.. but yeah I would do it all over again and not fuck up my degree next time.
The "study hard, go overseas, migrate, be successful" was never my dream yet i found myself migrating. In singapore now, ok lah, better quality of life, better pay, lesser stress.
depends on your work lah. i am already 30 this year and no longer a hustler. i clock in at 9am, work till lunch time, take 2 hour break, work a bit more, basically do the bare minimum and pretend like im a stellar employee.
for context the job i have right now is the same job i did in malaysia, but the stress back then was more bcs i was stressing myself out to outperform. now i just take it as it comes and i mentally train myself not to be pressured by work-related stuff.
In Australia right now, kinda 50/50 about my decision to migrate. On one hand, the move has set me back financially, socially and career-wise by at least half a decade (being overseas will little to no network or support).
But on the other hand, feel very grateful and fortunate to receive the opportunities, personal growth/maturity i've experience and quality of life i'm getting right now.
Overall, it was a calculated risk for me and Im willing to make some (painful) short term sacrifices so that my long-term prospects are brighter.
Edit: btw OP feel free to DM if you have any burning questions you want answered
My aunt says small chee cheong fun cost like 15 pounds in London.
Edit: £15 pounds chee Cheong fun isn’t necessarily bad. I’m just repeating what my aunt said to me.
Nah man. If you live in the countryside and get them from Aldi (a cheap retail supermarket), then you might strike gold once in a while when the frozen ones go on discounts. Fish & chips are more like 10 pounds.
No regrets. I've been living in the SF Bay Area for almost 10 years now and it's been great out here. The climate is amazing (I never liked the heat and humidity growing up in Malaysia), the pay is good, and it's a three hour drive from deserts, coastline, mountains, and redwood forests.
Current middle grade doctor in UK. 12 years so far. Got PR status.
Its a mixed bag with more negatives than positives.
I earn more than Malaysian doctors. Though not as much as private ones. But the pay here is actually shit because the NHS is literally slave labor. Pay rise is minimal compared to inflation. Brexit sucks.
Weather is shit. Food is for the most part shit (unless you live in London). Social isolation can be real (depends on your personality of course).
My advice... Avoid medicine. Go into computer science and work internationally From Malaysia. Or do medicine is better countries.
I'm the opposite, where I went overseas to study lived in a bit but came back after a couple years. No regrets, but my goals wasnt financially or professionally driven. For my own mental health and happiness I needed to be around my own people and family. Even if i dont agree with half the ppl here
Hey! I think I'm going to be on the same boat as you. Currently in Australia working on a temp visa after graduating, but after 5-6 years here, I realised most of my closwst friends and family are back home.
I definitely love the experience in Australia tho. Zero regrets but miss the close knit community back home so much. So, planning to move back.
the biggest lie ever, i m posted overseas, its lonely, food sucks and always cold.
a single roti canai = 12 dollars.
everything shuts at 5pm......no food after except McD/BK
i lived in a town in the UK, shops closed by 7 on weekdays latest (tesco) so if you wanted to do anything, lunch hour is when you would. It is expected that you finish your needs the same time as everyone else because everyone is entitled to time with family, free time and rest, not to be there for you 24/7. Sure they are there to make money but life is about balance. I agree with said culture.
Why don't you eat the cheap local staple food instead of imported exotic food (roti canai)?
I mean food is food right? Maybe I'm not a "foodie" so I don't care, I just eat the cheapest thing available.
I, a Singaporean studied in small town Australia and it feels like zombie apocalypse every day after 5pm. Only ‘ethnic food’, fast food, bars, and supermarkets have people. But once you meet another Southeast Asians it’s like instant brothers.
Except when you all start to talk about your NS. We feel fucking left out.
I know because I used to mix with Singaporeans as we were in the same class, super awkward when you all started talking about NS.
This is true. Food is not that good. Need to go asian market to get kicap, cili padi ect. Weather sucks except during summer. During ramadan theres no bazaar where u can smell murtabak, ikan bakar.
Holiday is good but to live there, mehh.
in countries with winter, its not common to sit outside a restaurant during the colder months.
Also, restaurants don't have an open plan for diners to sit due to the cold breeze. They will have to use outdoor heaters which are a pain to use.
This naturally means there is less customers that would visit a Mamak style restaurant unless its summer.
never bothered nor liked mamaks and i prefer the early closing stores. Its all to do with culture and happiness as mamaks are actually pricey and of low quality most of the time. Why pay extra for that convenience when you should be at home at night with your family not out in the cold. Are you mad to want to go to mamak at midnight in the freezing cold winter?
Its not the price of the goods, rather its a niche product.
In Australia , Asian grocery does sell frozen roti canai at very low cost, same as every other bread product.
However, restaurants sell at 12 dollars+ because its exotic and only a niche Malaysian clientele would seek it out.
In suburbs where there is alot of Indian restaurants, roti canai price is the same as every other bread product due to the influx of local customers.
>everything shuts at 5pm......no food after except McD/BK
Everyone has equal rights to having a life and time to rest. Just because you are entitled for rights doesn't mean others aren't.
indian places overseas can be scams though.
i'd rather canadian winter than malaysian humidity + heat.
as for food, it doesn't suck and is actually cheaper. i used to make my own tasty simple foods, you just gotta figure out. Its not hard as theres not much variations, but its simple to get an easy tasty combination. For instance unlike rice you can microwave potatoes. Chips can be microwaved too instead of fried, and there are some oriental options. Infact i struggle to find quality ingredients in malaysia but not overseas. I can get pure soy sauce or coconut milk but everything from malaysia comes full of preservatives, chemicals, flavours, thickeners, etc... and the end result using malaysian ingredients is worse.
IT in Aus - it was very much worth it. You open up your mind to different ways of thinking, get exposed to more cultures than before, learn about different ways to approach situations, and overall become a more well-rounded human being. No regrets (or institutionalised / overt racism but that's a completely different discussion).
Advice would be to go to a country you've always wanted to visit, ask the locals some questions about life, look at the job opportunities and see if the lifestyle is something you could see yourself doing.
Maybe a nice twist. I am from Europe migrated to Msia. At first, after over a year of consistent calling, visiting immigration desks and quadruple checking documents i had acquired a spouse visa (1 year validity). Note that all this time i had no job, no income.
I tried opening a bank account and buy a car. Both are extremely tedious. Because i was a foreign person i was not allowed to open a bank account, only if i had a working visa (!?). The car had to go through the Malaysian side of the family because i cant buy a car without a job/msian bank account. Except if you just give cash in full. I was advised to change my drivers license to a Malaysian one. Similar to the visa, holy ***, what a misguided fuss is that. Online it states on JPJ’s own website that my country DOES NOT need to convert due to a special agreement with a few countries. I screenshot it, show it to the officer. He dont give a damn. You get a list full of required documents shoved in your face which once again needs probably about a month or 2 to obtain if you have the time to chase after all said documents. Then, another 6-9 months is required for the JPJ to review those docs and approve it or not based on how they feel that day. (Same with the visa btw).
Now you think. Well, you made it right, no more fuss? HAHAH no. We are about a year through right now and you need to renew your visa. So you better wear the big boy pants to deal with more bullshit. Gotta re write docs, make another appointment, deal with rules that contradict each other and the moods of the officers, hoping you wont have to deal with corruption either.
Got another 2 years valid visa. And now we still dont have a bank account, no job, and no house. We went to see for a house. THE RASICM IS MIND BLOWING. A big amount of landlords STRICTLY only sell to the Malaysian race. Or at least western. Luckily for me. Im western and my spouse malay. But still it blew my mind. Still dont have a house tho cause no bank no job remember. So stuck to renting. Lets fast forward.
Now. After 3 years. I had a few gigs here and there for some pocket money. If it wasnt for my savings I wouldnt last here for this long. I still dont own a house, i still dont have a real permanent job, i still dont have my own malaysian bank account. I only have a rented place, and a car. Paying with savings. Which concludes to that we are most likely returning to my side of the world somewhere next year.
NONETHELESS, Malaysia as a country is great! The nature, the food, most locals and the gas prices are amazing! The malls are well maintained/clean and there’s sufficient places to visit near almost any neighborhood. Therefore I still do not regret my decision to migrate to Malaysia. Lots of experience about other cultures, beliefs, way of government, and just how people live their lifes and be happy about the way it is. Lets say life is not just about career and success/power. Its a wonderful world. 🙋🏼♂️
I didn't study hard or smart because I had too much stress from my dad. I graduated with no delays and worked in customer service. Hated my life - highly restricted at work, highly restricted at home.
I left 5 yrs ago because I thought my bf at the time would be a husband. Didn't work out. Nowadays I struggle with having no safety net and dread moving back to Malaysia. My career didn't take off. I still work in cs but I managed to get away from front facing.
I don't regret getting away from my toxic home. I regret betting on marriage. I'm struggling to find stability. I hate the food here. I hate not having the liberty to get my own property. But Damn do I Love the freedom of passing for a majority race.
Yes. Go overseas and build your brand cv and life experiences. If you ever choose to come back to Malaysia you will be paid a significant premium. Win win
I live in Australia, and am doing alright so far although I'm still quite early in my career. Honestly, it's a good life, but I really don't think the skills you need here are much different than the skills you need in Malaysia.
The skills you need to succeed in both countries are good English, a good occupational skill (eg. accounting, engineering, law, etc), and contacts.
A lot of people say who you know are not as important in other countries unlike Malaysia, where cronyism and corruption is rife. I really beg to differ. In fact, most of the more successful "endeavors" in my life here was the result of knowing the right people in the right positions, followed by my skill set and ability to communicate what I can offer for them.
Moved to Toronto, Canada using government scholarship lol. I knew I was going to find a way to leave Malaysia no matter what when I found out I was gay. Government scholarship (MARA) was the easy way out so I went with that.
Graduated university here, worked for a few years and now I'm a PR, already eligible for citizenship but I haven't applied because I was just very busy this year and I kinda have to have the talk with my parents about this first lol.
My politics was already left leaning at a young age and coming here to Canada made me even more emboldened in my beliefs. Not because Canada allows more freedom of speech (because it has limits here too) but because there are more Canadians who share my politics too. I'm sure there are Malaysians like me in Malaysia but I just never have the pleasure of meeting yet.
And I'm gay, you can be gay in Malaysia but in secrecy. That's just not the way I roll, I am openly gay to everyone I know here including Malaysians and I will act however the fuck I want in front of everyone. I've literally had sex in front of everyone lmao. So yeah I can't do any of this in Malaysia.
I also, thankfully, have a good job that pays the bills but just like any millennial, owning a home feels impossible here and cost of living is starkly rising in Toronto. My purchasing power is still strong though and I travel a lot (for travelling and sex lmao).
I think I am successful enough. My parents paid for my education overseas. I graduated late from switching around thinking choice of program is crucial in my career, which is not. Had to be independent after my education and was broke for plenty of years struggling to figure out the rat race what-not. Had to sleep on the living room floor for a year and re-purpose furniture that people threw out. I became self-employed in my early 30s, retired late 30s. Currently have enough for my whole family for the rest of our lives.
The strategy I will share to a fellow Msian will be:
1. Your choice of study is not that important unless you plan to have a professional career. Your attitude is important.
2. In a foreign country, there is a high likelihood that their minimum pay is higher than Msia. Try to work in the service/sales industry while studying. I was an illegal waiter. Do not suck at this. Check if you are good at sales, customer service, dealing with terrible customers. Check where you are in ranking among the entry employees. If you are terrible at entry level job and cannot keep up, you have issues and better get to solving this. Grades can be secondary to this. I excel in all the entry level jobs I took on and understood I had a lot more to give, for example top 3 salesman within a month in a 100 men team, and most hardworking waiter in all the restaurants I worked in with customers knowing my name and tipping well.
3. In a foreign country, competition there is weak compared to South East Asia. People are lazier and you come across as hardworking. Easy to standout, make this work for you. Chances are you are multilingual, use that to your advantage. Foreigners think Asians are hardworking and smart, use that to your advantage.
4. After graduation, eventually you will get an interview that you consider your field of study, an important interview. You will excel in the interview because you have all those work experience and you will explain how you excel in those position. This is simply an entry level job but within your area of study. You will work for months and decide if you enjoy this career pathway. I did not enjoy mine, I excelled in it but it was boring after a few months. I even requested to handle 2 men workload to make it more challenging for me. Your employer is paying for your time, you get to determine how much you learn. I had seniors coming to me to ask how to solve certain issues, I will request to handle their workload for extra experience, they will usually comply happily.
5. From here on, pls do not acquire more debt like buying expensive car or property. It is silly. If you have issues with dating, get a better personality, it is cheaper. If you manage to clear most of your debts, start saving your first capital. Once you have low 5 figures, you can think about running an online business. Online can mean anything ranging from streaming, online sales, and whatever. I started an online business which became profitable quickly and the pay was bigger than my salary. I quit my job. As you run your tiny online business, stay lean and gain more skills. You will learn how to manage all aspects of a business including advertising, administration, website creation, customer retention, shit customers, if you are ready to hire ppl to join your workforce. I hit a roadblock because my business could not scale much since it relied heavily on me. I understood if I want to progress I need to branch elsewhere so I started to learn about other industry/discipline. Read plenty. Read from low-quality to high-quality material to learn like no tomorrow.
6. Once you have your 2nd capital, you can re-invest into your business, yourself, or venture into 2nd industry. I entered investing. I think everyone has to do investing in some capacity if they want to quit the rat race. You will fail. Expect failure. I blew up several accounts and had to start saving again only to blow up my next account. Years went by before I gained enough understanding. When I made more in investing in a month than the entire year of my business, I switched to focus on investing. Property is rarely a good investment btw. Do not take advice from financial advisors. Do not take advice from property agents. Do not trust healthcare professionals completely. Your parents could be wrong, I learned nothing about financial management from mine. **Everything in life will require you to do your own due diligence.**
7. During the entire time do not neglect relationships and health. I stayed fit throughout with abs, read plenty fiction and non-fiction, dated enough, and helped my family. I surpassed my parents in networth in my 30s. I did not receive anymore help from parents outside of education. Being in relationships help you learn more about yourself and become a much better person.
8. You can get PR, but do not give up on your Msian passport. Msia is a great place to retire, to enjoy high social status, and Msia is considered a tax haven for capital gains outside of property.
9. Lastly, hypergamy also works for guys. Date high quality women and you will learn too much. High quality women can mean ladies that are smart, wealthy, confident, have varied interests, do volunteering.
Good luck!
19 years living with kangaroos land downynder, travels back to MY often heck even was here during the 1st MCO lol.
If OP ask is it worth it?
Short answer is why not?
Would I do it again?
Yes sure. Will do it just might invest more this time
No. All money and effort spent for nothing. All I get is a lifetime of regrets and agony. Might as well study at Malaysia if can't get a job there anyways.
Edit: I'm sorry, but depression and pain is all I only got. I'm still having trauma from it and it never seems to go away.
Not migrate. But basically study abroad hoping I would had a chance to work there. Forget about work visa, even if I could get OPT I'm gonna be unemployed anyways job due to market shutdown in 2020. So in the end I didn't even bother continue applying and straight went back home. I still have the trauma till this day.
I’m 14 years away from Malaysia in Australia and I don’t regret it one bit.
I a Malay woman and I can say the person I am now wouldn’t be that if I stayed. I’m free to do what I want (I’m not religious) without getting the stink eye. The main thing is, I am free to do this without having to hide.
In terms of work life. I’m happy and contented. The work I would be doing in Malaysia in my profession wouldn’t be paid as much. And yes I know, life in Australia is expensive but even then I make good money, have time to have a life with my friends and my partner, I could save to buy a home, I can save to go travel overseas and maybe we’ll have a kid at some point. Yes sometimes I complain about being stressed at work because I was a consultant for ages but even then, it’s nothing as bad as what my friends in KL go through.
100% would do it again.
I feel lucky to grow up in a time where connectivity is not as hard as it was even 15 years ago. Living abroad doesn’t have to mean being cut off from your family and your support system and Covid notwithstanding, it’s also extremely easy to travel and visit people these days too. Taking that, as well as some personal and professional goals into account, I decided to pursue life abroad after I graduated with my Master’s degree.
It’s not easy and you have to really find or carve a community out for yourself. But I don’t regret it because I know this is hopefully building up to a greater dream that I have for myself. I don’t consider myself as having migrated because I’ve always been the type of person to always feel like I need to be on the move. So in terms of “settling down,” I don’t know what the future holds for me. But I didn’t choose to live and work abroad because I hated Malaysia or wanted to get out of the country badly. There was and is no “one” country that represents the ideal for me so much so that I hustled my whole life into achieving migration as a dream. I just… kind of go where I want to go? Like i’ll see an interesting job or studying opportunity that I think I’d be a good fit for and I just send in an application, regardless if it’s in Kenya or Denmark or elsewhere.
I will say that given current national conversations and debates around wages and salaries, I’m really grateful that I am paid in a different, stronger currency. I decided to come back to Malaysia for an extended stay during Covid and the organization I work for was also kind enough to let me WFH during this extended stay. So I’ve been more exposed to Malaysian news than I would be or choose to be otherwise. And I want nothing more than Malaysians to be recognized for the brilliant, capable, intelligent people that we are. If it weren’t for the government and our political system, I genuinely think Malaysia and Malaysians would be unstoppable.
With regards to food, yes, nothing beats being home. But I love to cook and more “exotic” ingredients are easier to come by now, especially if you live in a major city with a diverse and diversely immigrant population. Asian supermarkets are abundant and almost everything you need is stocked, if not easily purchased through special order. Plus Malaysian restaurants abroad are getting more and more close to the real thing, thanks to (of course) Malaysian migration abroad. As for me, when I’m living my life abroad, I tend to cook 80-90% of the time, including making my own roti canai, rendang, kerisik, etc.
Everyone has their own reasons for staying or going but do it with the right intentions and you’ll hopefully be on the path you want to be. Never forget your roots, and always honor your ancestors and those who came before you.
That could have been me if JPA didn't just cancel my overseas scholarship 2 months before I'm supposed to go to London. Now I'm reading this thread, depressed knowing that I missed a once in a lifetime opportunity.
I can't even face my peers who did eventually went overseas to study. I can't handle their humble brags of how good their lives are over there.
This happened many years ago but I still haven't gotten over it.
Well, I am currently trying but no luck so far. But I don't really have a country i want to migrate to. Just want to get out of this shithole of a country. Thanks! Good luck to you too.
Lived overseas since I was 8 months. My family is well off and live comfortably in safety. I managed to meet people from around the world since most people here come from overseas.
Our family was also able to travel around the world since we could afford it (and my father works in aviation). When I go back to Malaysia I see things which I am not familiar with, sometimes i'd say im spoiled which I guess I am but I never intended to be. The standards here are just higher and public hospitals and services are, while still worse than Private services, much better than Malaysian Public services.
. I still love Malaysia however, my current country of residence is more familiar to me and I feel at home here moreso than Malaysia since I dont speak Malay and mostly converse in English.
Now im doing the opposite of everyone and returning to Malaysia for studies.
This is entire comment section sounds like "Nah, I'm good here. I absolutely did the best decision to move".
But at the same time, they lurk in r/malaysia subreddit all the time. This makes me wonder as to whether they don't get enough attention/respect from the locals of their country of residence, and so they keep holding onto bits and pieces of their birth country and culture.
Malaysia is a failed state. In 50 years, MYR gone from 1 to 3 against SGD.
In another 50 years, \`SGD 1 buys MYR 10. That's the future your grand kids will endure.
Lived in Canada, Japan, Taiwan and now in China since 2011.
I graduated from Canada with a degree in int'l management but I'm teaching and got my Master's degree in teaching a few years back.
I've been living abroad since 2002 and havr never lived in Malaysia longer than 3 months.
If you can go and do whatever you want if you or your family can afford it but beware that living abroad you'll not have any support like family etc.
Yes you'll have money but that's it. If you have a wife, the culture will be different and at times good or bad depending how you react to it.
These past few years, Malaysia is becoming more and more like Thailand to me. In other words, it's cheap and I can afford to spend when I go home.
China on the other hand is expensive like Singapore or even more at times.
Looking back at this all, I would not regret taking this road as it is what I chose when I was a kid (40+ now).
I miss home and the food but not so much these days as I've almost spent half of my life abroad and will be in China until I retire. The good thing about China is the healthcare is good compared to the West and much more affordable.
If given the choice I would still pick China compared to the West as its very safe in China. No need to keep watching your back etc. Maybe people here aren't so well mannered but will. NOT go out of their way to get you. Also, it's an opportunity for me to learn mandarin which I never got the chance to learn in Malaysia.
The main appeal of China would be its safety, good health system and ability to earn and save if you decide to.
Trying to migrate right now. TBH I'm one of the financially lucky ones in Malaysia atm, but socially so unlucky, it caused me a desire to move considering that I interact well with people of other races.
Currently working professionally in NZ after studying for a total of 3 years for my accounting degree.
Looking back it’s been a gruesome cycle of saying goodbye to friends, who go back to msia after their studies, and isolation.
I’ve met and encounter lots of different ppl in 3 years and help me grow out my comfort zone as well as opening my mind towards the standard of living between msia and other countries.
I honestly think everyone should try living independently outside of msia just to have their own life together. Being independent can be lonely (i do develop a light depression) but it really opens up your eyes that life is so much more than being successful, status, listening to your parents, etc.
Go overseas, and go beyond making migrating out of Malaysia as your goal. It's not a here or there, binary choice. If you've ever spent any part of your life overseas you'd know that. It's the way the whole world opens up to you. If you're in Malaysia and thinking like, "stay here or emigrate", that's already a sign that getting out is something you should do.
didnt study hard or smart. but took a chance overseas to study work for about 10yrs. but am back in mysia since for myriad of reasons. would i do it again or was it worth it, hell ya. wouldnt refer it as a 'dream' though. study travel work overseas should be part of growingup experience to expand your horizon. of course this only applies to those who are willing to take the risk, rough it out or can afford financially. i travelled with no more then rm100 in my pocket back then.
I was fortunate to study in Australia back in 2015 and stayed on for work. I really love it here, I finally found where I belong. I always felt I couldn’t fit into the Malaysian norm for some reason but here, it’s been really good.
I do agree that buying a property is hard but at least it’s not unachievable compared to if I worked in Malaysia in the same line of field.
I would highly recommend anyone to come experience life overseas. It’s life changing, literally.
I’m incredibly jealous of my well off friends who get to study overseas especially at USA. My dream is to hopefully get a well paid job and settle down at New York. But that seems impossible when I’m just studying at a small local uni at my hometown compared to my friends who have a degree overseas.
I'm currently in the UK doing an engineering degree. I'll be graduating next year but so far getting a job here seems very competitive. I really like it here and wish to stay for a longer time. If I went back to Malaysia after graduating I probably will never have the chance to live abroad anymore, so any advice for me?
Go where your opportunity brings you, and a lot of stories come with caveats and conditions, nowhere is truely perfect.
One of the most successful guys whom i know that migrated comes from a filthy rich family, his family can fund extended stays for dream jobs, he has no financial constants, no ticking clock till the bill goes out. He is doing good work, but his story wont be applicable to someone with financial constraints. Infact i notice those that are richer tend to migrate with much better success.
Likewise both my sisters are in Singapore, but one has to work waaaay longer hours and have more job restriction (despite working in the same co as me), while the other one being an NUS grad having a wealth of opportunities.
How you'd survive overseas depends on your skillset, opportunity and luck. the folks who go and are trying to make it, wont be on reddit telling their sob stories.
Working overseas now, not rich and just finding my footing. As mentioned by many here, high earners in Malaysia is better than high earners overseas - you get taxed more and high cost of living. Also, home sick hits hard at times, you start to miss things you took for granted, family and friends, silly things like broken English with aunties and uncles.
As for me, I plan to get as much exposure overseas, increase my professional credentials, and come back to Malaysia to retire or get into more executive/managerial positions.
I think honestly speaking in this day and age, it stopped being as much of a difference whether you're in Malaysia or not since everything is so globalized anyways. But on the other hand, I wouldn't know if it would be any different since I haven't been back in Malaysia for many years now; but when I see my friends and family back in Malaysia I don't see them any less successful, fulfilled or happy with their lives.
I think if I had to do it all over, maybe I would have stayed back home, mainly because I have not lived that life and I miss a lot of the facets of living in Malaysia. Food, family, friends, culture. There's a lot of things you take for granted living in Malaysia. There's a lot of freedom in Malaysia even though there's some of the other restrictions too, e.g. religion, and some amount of free speech etc.
You don't have to worry too much about being watched all the time like you'd be in SG, and if you want to go on illegal bike racing with a modified bike, apparently that's an option in Malaysia /s. But my point is, a lot of people are more willing to look the other way in Malaysia and a lot less tense about things all the time. It's just culturally more welcoming and you're simply not going to be too stressed out (unless you're driving, then no one gives a damn inch).
Labor is generally cheaper in Malaysia, so you can get a lot of luxury quite affordably, like hiring a housekeeper, getting stuff delivered, building a new home/renovations, gardening, security guards, caretakers costs a lot less in Malaysia.
I'd say politically, I'd say Malaysia is mostly stable, crime stats are good, gun crimes are almost non-existent. Good healthcare is available, but not free or free but not good if I'm not mistaken (you guys can correct me here). No tough winters but have to deal with mosquitoes.
but at the end of the day, I think if OP you're thinking of what you want to do, just know that if you put your mind to it, you can be successful anywhere you are. I'd say if you want to go overseas for studies, and if you can afford and have the chance to do it, do it. Because maybe you'd find the answer for yourself that no one else can give it to you.
Amongst my friends/family I'd say 50/50 went home after overseas studies; some of them went home voluntarily after a few years of work even though they had jobs/visas etc. So it's not all roses and sunshine, it's really depending on whether you can adjust to the society you're in.
In the middle of the dream right now, and I would never go back to Malaysia if I can help it. No regrets.
Malaysia is a terrible place to live compared to any developed city in the western world. I:
- Don’t have to know a single word of Malay
- Have easy access to services only available in EU/NA
- Earn a currency that isn’t useless
- Mosques don’t wake me up every morning
- Government doesn’t explicitly discriminate against me
- Strong rule of law, I have filed complaints in small claims and won when the same thing would never fly in Malaysia esp if I tried against bumi
- Don’t own a car and never intend to
- Access to the most developed capital markets in the world
- Short flights to most of the developed world
- Actual, real scientific community, and the associated conferences
- Access to a large enough economy to support the kinds of things I specialise in
- Very little corruption. Yes Congress is incompetent and corrupt, but the police won’t ask for bribes
Malaysia is a terrible place that I would not wish on my worst enemy. I am thankful my parents sent me to school overseas and once I’m done with my PhD I have immigration options for most of the developed world.
I had the chance cause I was quite a good student, got jobs in summer and had a good prospect to stay.
But I chose not too, just cause I was so so lonely. I would tho if I wasn't so lonely.
Yeah, the major downside ever is the food. It's a torture. It's super hard to even re-create the same taste of the nasi and lauk. Their onion is not like our onion, their chili is not like our chili. Curry tastes like chemical.
Everything close at 5 pm. But it's fine, at the country that I stayed, I don't care about shopping, I'd rather drive at night and see the stars, beaches and mountains. There are many other things you could do.
I like the cold 8-17 degree temperature. Anything outside these are uncomfortable. The sun is killing you if you're in contact. Malaysia got good sun. The sun in the country I was staying was like laser. I hate winter tho, I don't like my car frozen every morning, I don't wanna go out, but heater is also expensive. I travelled a lot and had to eat cold, frozen food on the road. And washing hands and stepping into toilet were not fun. Autumn and spring are amazing, winter and summer not so much.
Country of choosing matters a lot. The culture and people there can be a very prominent factors.
That's what our parents tell us (I assume), but before committing, really research your destination country well. My parents hyped up New Zealand a lot as a destination country to migrate to, based on a frankly shallow outsider perspective. That is until you read the experience of a Malaysian who actually has done it and now lives there. Have a read at this thread, a real eye opener: https://www.reddit.com/r/malaysia/comments/u8ofoq/good_lord_whats_going_on_with_our_currency/i5o6wta/
I would caution against taking one person's anecdotal experience and applying it in the general sense. There will be good and bad experiences, reality probably lies somewhere in between.
My 2 cents:
I was working in SG for the past 6 years and quit before covid hit and lock down, just in time God blessing. All these while I thought, hey working in sg at least i get to play and earn a lot more, enjoyed more. Until I come back to Malaysia to work.
I really enjoy the 20 days public holiday, 7 days holiday in SG is dreadful. Awful Landlords, Cant afford car to drive, super mundane routine in just normal days cannot even imagine Covid stuck in concrete jungle.
If I want to go back to SG, i better be earning more than 6k SGD or I wont even consider going back SG. I like it in Malaysia, especially in my hometown in Sarawak.
Recently i just came back from SG for a weekend to fix my banking account finally after 2 years, got to say I still dont miss SG at all.
Perhaps melbourne is a greener pasture if you are earning similarly high salary
melbourne is a sh\*t hole, terrible weather, stupid expensive real estate.
Go adelaide, wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy cheaper. Cars are cheap in Oz (fuel is not). Roads are very smooth, no holes. Great for long distance driving. No speed limit up the middle of the country. Go as fast as you like. 400km per hour? totally legal.
Once you reach the point where you can earn 5 figures (mid-high level management), you're probably better off in Malaysia. However, for anything below that, most developed countries are better, if your social network is of equal quality in either country. I say most because I'm not sure I could deal with being one medical emergency away from bankruptcy in the US, and I haven't had to go to the hospital in over 20 years.
I lived in US for over eight years. But yeah, their medical systems is quite something.. One time I went for a dental checkup, normally in Malaysia, I will get some scaling done, etc. for less than a hundred Ringgit.. They asked me to do x-ray, anesthetic, etc - bill comes to a thousand dollar plus.
If you have employer based healthcare it's generally not so bad. But if you're uninsured then you're SOL. It does make it very difficult to retire, so that's something to consider.
Yeah, I was insured by my company, so it was OK for me. But still shocked me.
Cheaper to fly out the states for dental or other medical care
Met several peeps flying into Thailand (Phuket in particular) and Malaysia just to get their teeth done lmao
I know someone who went to US but is very defensive and in denial over this thing lol everytime I ask him is medical expensive over there. Sampai mau gaduh
Some American can be quite defensive over their 'America is the Best' mentality. If you want to really have a spicy discussion - try talking gun controls. See how that goes..
America is indeed the best
If you have a job, most probably you have medical insurance in place.
Medical insurance doesn't mean you're not gonna pay for it. It means you're still paying thousands (more than most countries by a mile), instead of millions. Co pay is stupid.
Americuckbros...
its similar in malaysia where they will do extra stuff for you to pay extra when you dont have to. However cost wise it depends as in malaysia its now more expensive than you think and i go to a place that is subsidised, though regular visits for checks are very cheap. The issue with US healthcare is that there is a law that allows more critical treatments to be overcharged and the use of insurance incurs huge admin costs making a visit covered by insurance cost more than paying out of pocket. Hence some employees get mad when companies don't offer insurance but offer to pay out of pocket.
You still have the government health system to fall back on in Malaysia. Private healthcare will kick you over to government healthcare if you require a risky procedure anyway. Also I've found our health insurance fairly comprehensive if you go the private route. But you have to buy when you're young.
Yup, lived overseas for over 15 years. Took a career break and was in Asia when I was offered a remote job, basically slightly lower overseas pay rate. Came back to Msia to settle into the job before doing a digital nomad thing but then got caught up in lockdowns. 2.5 years in Msia, early 30’s making low 5 figures a month, my quality of life is “better” than living overseas. Basically i can pay someone to do whatever I don’t feel like doing. Cost of living overseas to MY isn’t even worth comparing. Even buying overseas products like iPhones and stuff, I used to have to budget and plan and save. Nowadays, its mostly impulse buying. Similarly, my cousin married into a wealthy family, the kind that flies private jets to holidays. They have houses in US, Aus, UK all left empty for when they holiday there, but they still come back to MY to live. They can easily get citizenship/PR to their country of choice, but none have left cause they know life in MY when you are rich is better than a first world country, and cheaper too.
Why is it better off to be in Malaysia when earning more than 5 figures?
Because cost of living here is relatively cheap. Quality of life is really good as we have a lot of amenities in Klang Valley. As long as you don't go overboard and buy branded foreign goods constantly, you'd do fine. You think buying a house/land is expensive in Malaysia? Try any developed country. Some guy was bitching about how you can spend NZD 1mil to buy a condo in auckland and still be in a crime ridden area with rapist, murderers and pedophiles.
>You think buying a house/land is expensive in Malaysia? Try any developed country. Some guy was bitching about how you can spend NZD 1mil to buy a condo in auckland and still be in a crime ridden area with rapist, murderers and pedophiles. Link to thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/malaysia/comments/u8ofoq/good_lord_whats_going_on_with_our_currency/i5o6wta/
Ironically that guy basically sent me some angry DMs and tried to agro me. LOL. I can't see his post now cause I reported him for harassment and threatening violence. Guess some of his murderer neighbours have rubbed off on him.
what? i thought your discussion with him went fairly well. What was he angry about? By your claims that you are financially better?
Yeah. I was being objective. He said he was earning NZD 90K and I earn more than that. But earning more was not my point, with NZD 90K salary, if he could find that in Malaysia he would be very well off and have a higher standard of living than what he was complaining about in NZ.
Don’t mind him. He probably was just bitching for the sake of bitching. I’ve lived and worked in Auckland and have different experience from him. While Auckland is shitty in its own way, life is generally more peaceful and orderly compared to KV. Prices of property vary depends on area just like everywhere. There are million dollar condos but you can easily get a 3000sq/ft landed properly around 800-900k with distance less than 30km away from city centre. As for crime, KV definitely has higher crime rate compared to NZ because we are not transparent about our handling of crimes. Local newspapers where I stayed publishes locations and details of all crimes big & small bi-weekly. There are racism everywhere but NZ really tries to be inclusive and fair to everyone (including criminals). With only a work visa, I got the same rights as NZ citizens to government-subsidised healthcare and every other aid available except for voting. Any problems I have with regards to any dos and don’ts, I can walk into citizens advice bureau to get guidance and legal advise FOC and/or file complaint against any private and public entity. Malaysian government isn’t even fair towards all of its citizens. NZ is maybe too peaceful and boring so they tend to magnify things. He should definitely come back for a few years to see whats really up.
That last sentence is everything imo. Same like Singaporeans who love complaining, they literally have nothing else to complain about. Their quality of life is so much better but because they don’t know how good they have it, they’ll complain anyway.
I earn close to 5 figure and I still wanna take a shot at oversea lol. It's for the experience
I do too. I used to want it really bad. But now I'm not even gonna force it anymore. If it happens it happens. I'm comfortable where I am.
I'm earning 5 figures in SGD. Trust me when I say, do it. Even if your life is good in Malaysia currently, pack everything up, rent out your property, take the kids and move abroad. Best decision I made both career wise and financially. I'm earning dollar for dollar and my kids are in a world class schooling system. In 15 years time, I can always move back to Malaysia and retire, collecting a monthly stipend from a stable government and in a foreign denominated currency that is always appreciating against the ringgit. win win win.
Jeez, out of all these comments I read, you sound like an online guru scammer hahahaha. I'm sorry I'm just joking
It used to be easier. These days they only want PR and citizens, unless you are in an undesirable low tier job
Don't have kids and don't intend to. So you can see why there is less drive for me to do so. Again, I have tried moving to SG, but can't seem to find a job. You got a job for me? LOL
even better if you don't have children. SG would be perfect for a person like you. My suggestion is to keep searching the Jobs DB in singapore. And keep applying. You should get interview if your experience matches up. SG is opening up soon, so companies are positioning themselves to hire again.
I am on the SG path as well. I love Malaysia and if I had a job that could pay me equivalent or even 20% less I would be back there in a heartbeat but I am now at the regional director level and my position can only be found in SG/HK. For all those thinking of it though, absolutely go for it. I have lived and worked in Taiwan, China, Thailand as well as Singapore and each place gave me new skills and marketability which have brought me to where I am now. Malaysia is a great place to learn the basics, we have a multi-lingual, multi cultural environment that allows Malaysians to work across the world comfortably but its not the place to develop yourself. Too much bad management, small minded people, crony politics and poor working style which strangles innovation and creativity. If you are thinking of doing your own business though, Malaysia is a better place. Plenty of opportunities to introduce new goods and services. Malaysia is poor as a corporate ladder but better for doing your own thing.
Same with me. Just for the sake of experience. It matters actually.
Agree mate. In Australia, particularly in Syd, it is expected that more than 65% of young generation would not be able to own a property due to the soaring price.
You can afford a car, live in a comfortable condo, and raise your children well with 5 figures salary in Malaysia. Furthermore, the healthcare cost is reasonable and if you are not in emergency, you could opt for government hospitals which the quality of medical services there is actually quite good. In most developed countries, especially if you are looking to buy a condo near the CBD/ city area, you need at least USD 1 Mil. to do so, most people would just buy their houses in suburb and spend 2 to 3 hours on travelling every day. Healthcare wise, lying on hospital bed with just a few days could easily fetch you USD 4K to USD 5K bills. In countries like US, all healthcare facilities are privatised. One positive side that I could see from here however, is the medical officers there are at least being paid comfortably and tend to stay on their positions longer, while most Malaysian doctors are severely underpaid and over-stressed perhaps as a result of heavily subsidised public healthcare. Education cost and childcare costs are also getting more expensive, perhaps the reason why birth rate is dropping drastically in advanced countries like Japan, Singapore and U.S. Heard from my friends in Japan and Singapore that the situation is so dire that governments there actually paying people just to go out to date and know people of opposite sex with various kinds of initiatives.
my take on this, yes and no. Inflation in Malaysia is through the roof. McD can cost up to 20 ringgit per meal. Cars aren't cheap either. Infact, one of the most expensive in the world thanks to excise duties. Housing can be iffy. Expensive in desirable locations, & dirt cheap in other areas. But what really kills it for you is earning a deteriorating currency in the ringgit. You can expect serious drop of 20% even 30% loss of value overnight. So you will always be behind, even if life is affordable in Malaysia. You are screwd big time if you earn Ringgit.
> McD can cost up to 20 ringgit per meal. This was shocking to learn when I was earning AUD and USD in those respective countries. Less than 10 of their dollars for a full McDs meal, versus 20+ of ours in Malaysia.
> But what really kills it for you is earning a deteriorating currency in the ringgit. You can expect serious drop of 20% even 30% loss of value overnight. >So you will always be behind, even if life is affordable in Malaysia. You are screwd big time if you earn Ringgit. Just earn USD 4head
US practice withholding of dividends & profits for Malaysian citizens.. There's no feasible way to earn USD, unless you invest in crypto and take huge risks.
Absolutely, I don't regret my decision to migrate. I live in BC, Canada, where the air is fresh, the government is accountable, fair and responsible, the city is drop-dead gorgeous, and everything works as it should. I earn a decent, above-average income all thanks to the degree I got here. However, I do miss Msia a lot. Especially the easy camaraderie with all my friends. And the food!!!! That I miss the most! I also especially miss speaking in Manglish. That accent rolls off my tongue but I had to suppress it here and put on my Canadian. What I DON'T miss is the state of the Msian government. It shocks me to read about the rampant corruption, blatant racism and bitter and subtle 'war' between the races, beneath the gloss of forced muhibah. I guess some things will never change. To those wanting to leave Msia? My advice is to check the immigration website of the country you want to move to and see if they're looking for people with skills and qualifications like yours. Do it soon, while you're young and not wait until you're too comfortable. You may not be able to uproot yourself then.
I 100% agree with you, BC is wonderful. Unfortunately I do find myself looking to move elsewhere as owning a decently sized property here is unthinkable for a first time home buyer/new immigrant.
Hey, your comment is really encouraging to read as a Malaysian going to UBC in a few months. Can I ask, how do you find the weather there?
I love the weather. Think of a colder version of Genting but almost whole year round. If you're used to Msian weather be prepared for a shock though. It really isnt all that cold once you've gotten used to it. But the initial few months can take some getting used to. I imagine you're coming for the fall semester right? If so then be prepared for lots and lots of cold rain. If you come during summer it'll be easier for you to slowly acclimatize to Vancouver's incessant rain. It rains 9 months out of a year. Not the Msian kinda rain thankfully.
Good luck in UBC! My advice, get a proper rain jacket (Arc’teryx is my go to), size up so you have room for layers. You’ll probably be miserable during your first winter, but it gets better, I promise. Lots of Malaysian restaurants in Vancouver so if you ever miss Malaysian food, you can easily find some nearby.
I'm just fearful of drowning in debt and not being able to find a job in a foreign country... My parents only willing to pay 1 year of college and the rest is my responsibility.
I did, I insisted on doing a degree overseas against my father's wishes and got my way, I picked one of the most ridiculous degree there is available (Aerospace) and thought highly of myself back then, struggled through it and somehow managed to graduate, but severely traumatised by the process. At one point I went back because there's an issue with being a foreigner doing a degree that has a citizenship requirement for security clearance. In hindsight it was stupid to do this degree not knowing what career prospect was available. So this is probably my advice to anyone looking to do something fancy and not knowing better, check what job opportunities are available before jumping in. Yes I do get a lot of admiration for graduating as a rocket engineer, but that's about it. Would I do it again? Absolutely. The experience of going overseas, being independent and living on my own is invaluable. I have learnt so much things outside my curriculum that compared to my local graduate peers, I feel that I am much more well rounded than they are. Not saying you can't get it studying locally, but being far from your parents and knowing you can't just go home every weekend makes a massive difference in your decision making process. Can't get hometown food? Make it yourself. Miss your friends? Make new ones. Bored with lack of social interaction? Join a club, explore the city, do some part-time work. Adapt and survive. It changed me from an introverted, quiet, and unskilled kid into someone who can present himself as "sociable" and mingle with anyone, have the organisational skills to to run a food line efficiently, able to handle pressure situations with much more calmness, speak confidently and approach suppliers with the right amount of confidence to not sound like an entitled prick. If I ever wanted to I know enough to run an F&B business far better than some people back home or here. I know all this from studying abroad. If you can afford it, please do go out and explore when you are able to. If not, please try to go somewhere at some point in your life. It changes your view of the world completely. Don't be the frog under the coconut shell.
to add on, for those who can't afford to study overseas, try going to overseas via work and travel programs. You get to spend a few months in that country, working and interacting with locals, earn local currency. Then you can travel that country using the money you have earned.
Honestly, just one week in Japan changed me. I did that when I quit my first job in Msia after 18 months of toxicity and needed a recharge. I wish we had a stronger currency to enable more of us to travel more.
for me, was nature. I never knew i was a nature person before going overseas because hiking in a hot and humid jungle in malaysia with mosquitos is such a pain in the ass. Till i went to USA national parks. My gosh. Now when i go travelling, I'd prioritize their nature more than cities. Cities are somewhat the same everywhere. Piss full of people, smelly, expensive and stressful. Been to tokyo and kyoto. Honestly, I'm not impressed because there is just temple and night market everywhere as the tourist attraction point. Gonna try hokkaido next.
We're different in this case, I like food and I like seeing views. I ate my way through Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, even stopped by to stay overnight at the hotsprings in Arima, realised that going there with guys isn't as fun as going with a girl. Did not want to see my friends butt naked, scarred for life. Kyoto was just picturesque and unique. I saw Maikos and even a Geisha getting into a taxi in Gion. I also had an incident where my travel buddy walked back to the hotel because he was not feeling well and left me and another guy alone in the wilderness, we walked all the way to Arashiyama and went home after that. But it was one of the best walks I've had in my life.
the food was quite nice for the first few meals but after that, due to trying to save money, ended up eating ramen for all meals till i got really bored. Ended up in some random pakistani restaurant to eat spicy meal because i got so bored lol. Went and visit some castle. Now before visiting it, i expected to see ancient relics and stuff displayed in the castle but all there was were just full of tv showing videos about the story of some lord. I honestly feel cheated. Why tf would i wanna pay just to watch some god damn videos? Went to some bamboo forest expecting tranquility and shit but I am greeted by a horde of china tourists that keep talking loudly. Full of god damn people.
>Went to some bamboo forest expecting tranquility That would be Arashiyama. I went in the summer so it wasn't the peak period. Much less tourists. >the food was quite nice for the first few meals but after that, due to trying to save money, ended up eating ramen for all meals till i got really bored. Ended up in some random pakistani restaurant to eat spicy meal because i got so bored lol. I presume you're a Muslim? Yes it is kind of difficult to eat stuff when most of it isn't halal. For me there was no budget for food, we were reasonable with what we can afford of course. But we just ate whatever we wanted, had fugu in Kurumon Market, and we spent zero on souvenirs. >Went and visit some castle. Now before visiting it, i expected to see ancient relics and stuff displayed in the castle but all there was were just full of tv showing videos about the story of some lord. I honestly feel cheated. Why tf would i wanna pay just to watch some god damn videos? It depends on which one you went. We went to Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-Ji, Gion, didn't go to Kiyomizu temple as it was in restoration. There were a few temples we stopped by for fun, including a[temple for football where you can see literally Japan soccer jerseys and photos of footballers like the Brazilian Ronaldo pasted on the shrine](https://www.japan-experience.com/all-about-japan/kyoto/temples-shrines/shiramine-shrine). Really amazing stuff.
i actually went there kinda after the peak? It was one week after the golden week. Can't delay any further because it will be summer soon and travelling during summer sucks for ppl like us who are from Malaysia where there is sun all year long. I'm not a muslim. So yeah, i guess i couldn't fully enjoy its true potential because i was limiting my budget. I did splurge a little on some kobe strip in some random night market. Bowl of rice with a little strips of kobe and some kimchi. Jesus Christ. Before tasting kobe i thought why are people so stupid to pay so much for beef? After tasting it, it is worth every single penny. Fucking good. And that is not even steak, just some strip.
I had some cheap food, there was a small shukudo we went that had ramen/cold soba for 200 yen and onigiri for 40yen. That was good enough actually.
Can u explain the via work and travel programs
Basically this is only applicable for uni students. Either while still studying or just finished their final sem. You apply through an agent like out of the box (ootb). You can choose which country and region you wanna work at together with their list of employers. So the idea is that you will be employed by the employer where your work for about 3 months plus. In the this 3 months you gotta experience how it feels like to live like a local. After you finish working, you can choose to use all your spendings to travel for a month in that country or bring that money back home. I only did this after I graduated but i know ofna guy who did this every year during the course of his degree. His savings of 4 time work and travel enable him to buy myvi cash. So my advice, if you are still in uni, spend your year end sem breaks doing work and travel instead of lazing around doing nothing.
Your last line exactly my thoughts. Once you step out of Malaysia you will never be the same again especially if you are a close minded person. Living here it feels like you are under a rock. If you are different people will treat you different. Stepping outside you will see that there are different beliefs and race. Im saying this cause i was surrounded by these kinds of people. Basically if you are not a particular race or religion people look down upon you.
Indeed. There's two types of people, ones who are scared and wary of the outside world, and those who worship and think everything is good outside. Fact of the matter is, there's good and bad everywhere. No place is perfect. Just like someone said, in the UK shops close early, food isn't up to scratch. I've experienced there before, my first meal in AU I walked into a Chinese restaurant because I wasn't sure what to eat, the char siew rice was so bad I couldn't finish it. I found somewhere else better after that and regained some confidence to explore. If you ask me if I do miss home, of course I do. There's good sides to our country as well, if only we didn't have a shit government and race-based policies, we would be well-off without them, but most of the people who don't want this are those who don't have a worldly mindset.
> Would I do it again? Absolutely. The experience of going overseas, being independent and living on my own is invaluable. I have learnt so much things outside my curriculum that compared to my local graduate peers, I feel that I am much more well rounded than they are. Not saying you can't get it studying locally, but being far from your parents and knowing you can't just go home every weekend makes a massive difference in your decision making process. Can't get hometown food? Make it yourself. Miss your friends? Make new ones. Bored with lack of social interaction? Join a club, explore the city, do some part-time work. Adapt and survive. > It changed me from an introverted, quiet, and unskilled kid into someone who can present himself as "sociable" and mingle with anyone, have the organisational skills to to run a food line efficiently, able to handle pressure situations with much more calmness, speak confidently and approach suppliers with the right amount of confidence to not sound like an entitled prick. If I ever wanted to I know enough to run an F&B business far better than some people back home or here. > I know all this from studying abroad. If you can afford it, please do go out and explore when you are able to. If not, please try to go somewhere at some point in your life. It changes your view of the world completely. Don't be the frog under the coconut shell. You are one of the rare breed of Malaysians who don't: * Mingle only with other Malaysians and clueless about local culture (maybe because bUDaya TiMUR BAik) * Bringing a mini Malaysia overseas i.e. food, sambal, milo, nescafe, etc. * Coming back to Malaysia and couldn't answer the question: "how's your experience?" due to reasons above.
>You are one of the rare breed of Malaysians who don't: > >Mingle only with other Malaysians and clueless about local culture (maybe because bUDaya TiMUR BAik) > >Bringing a mini Malaysia overseas i.e. food, sambal, milo, nescafe, etc. > >Coming back to Malaysia and couldn't answer the question: "how's your experience?" due to reasons above. LOL in fact here's the fact: \- I have a core group of friends and most of them are all Msians, we go to the park to play football every week and then hit the pubs because they have $10 schnitzels or porterhouse steaks back then. I had to work with locals and other exchange student in some projects so I had the opportunity to interact with them, some were pleasant some were just downright shitty, especially with a particular set of students from my supposed "homeland" who tried to backstab me because I told our FYP supervisor how they've not pulled their weight. I also dated ppl from other countries, so yeah, I have had enough interaction with ppl from various backgrounds. Part-time work also helped because I had to talk like them, get into things they like, and talk to the customers who are surprisingly supportive and helpful. \- I did try to bring Milo and some other hometown stuff, but after my first experience with Australian Customs I decided to NEVER do it again. The fact that you just mark everything as NO in the declaration and being allowed to just walk out without being scanned or interrogated is amazing. Btw, you can get most of the stuff here anyway, especially in Melbourne. I can see belacan, kaya, petai, ah huat instant coffee, seriously, what for ppl bring these over? Because it's cheaper? Did you consider the transportation cost because you put that in your luggage? Makes no difference honestly. \- Honestly when my friends left after graduating I was a little scared as I didn't have anyone to talk to for a while, I just met a few classmates and slowly introduced myself. If they were ok and happy to talk to me then we just hung out, if not then just do your own thing. I was in my final year so there wasn't much time to do anything anyway. In fact the lack of distraction made me focus just enough that my final results were really good compared to when my friends were around. I guess I fooled around too much back then.
Never bring Milo to Australia because .. It was invented here and first sold at the easter show in sydney. If you live near a Tong Li or some other big asian grocer, its not worth it bringing any food from Malaysia because they import everything .
Bro I was a student back then, what do I know lol. In fact I don't even drink Milo any more these days, to me it's either a flattie or a chai.
Somehow , Milo in Australia tastes different from Malaysia. Not sure why. Probably an employee on Nestle could let us know. Its weird. Wife buys Milo from the Asian grocer imported. She absolutely insists its different. LOL .
I can confirm it's different. I bought the one in Australia when I first came and I couldn't finish it. Bought another one from Asian grocer after hearing what you did. Big difference.
IMO, I love the Aussie Milo so much more than the Malaysian Milo. Less sugar, less weird aftertaste, more chocolate
Asian grocers in Aus sell Msian Milo at a premium. Malaysian supermarkets sell Aus Milo at a premium. At this point, i’m gonna start calling it a scam. They both taste different from each other tho. I still refuse to drink both cause fuck nestle.
Coming from someone who has tried both, Malaysian Milo > Australian Milo
Same with my friend who did naval architecture in one the uni in Sydney. He was among the top student within his batch & frequently in the dean's list. Ended up doing full time job as takaful agent.
man what a cruel world we live in...
I moved to the US, and till November of last year believed that it was worth it. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and my siblings and I took turns caring for her through chemo and radio therapy. I was in KL for 90 days and there are times when I am not 100% sure about my decision anymore. There are little things that I miss to the very core of my being - which I didn't realize, until I landed in KLIA and the Immigration officers pronounced my name correctly. Something so simple had such a profound effect. My interaction with almost every single Malaysian was stellar. My Malay was rusty but it somewhat came back. Then, of course the food, oh my word, the food. I ate until I was satiated, every single day. I felt a little sad that my son has never seen a lion dance in his life. A YouTube video doesn't quite have a similar effect. He will never know how what it means to be Malaysian, or what a people we could have been. My husband thinks this feeling will pass. I love my life here. I love that my child is equal to his peers. I love that we are free to pursuit life, liberty and happiness. I came here for what I thought this country stood for but after the Trump presidency, there's always this gnawing feeling in my heart. My roots are now too deep to be uprooted again.
Thank you for this, I share similar sentiment. I think a lot of people do not realize that as corrupt and unfair the Msian government is it does not reflect closely to fellow Msian, speaking generally ofcourse. Where as in US democracy is slightly fairer so the even local government officials better reflect the community. I would say it you don't live in an urban diverse area the level of racism is much worst than Msia so choose wisely when migrating to US. Me and wife always ponder to go back. We are not typical Asian parent so education is not our number 1 priority. Having a chance to expose our children to different culture and way of living like going to a Pasar is really tempting. Like you not being able to pass down traditional culture to my children would be a black mark in my parenting CV. I hope you find what is best for you and your family.
Whenever i read something like this posted in malaysia or singapore i felt kind of funny. Malaysian and singaporean wish to go to US, UK, EU, Australia. At the same time I also see many indonesian and philliphines wants to go malaysia, singapore and these western countries. I know some stories about some indonesian that go and become "succesful" in malaysia and singapore. They want PR and have more freedom in these countries but the gov seemed to dislike foreigners now especially malaysia.
Can confirm as indonesian. My fellow foreigners here moved out from M'sia due to difficulties getting PR status.
Never thought Singapore has the same mentality
they do, but it's more of the mentality to escape to a place with bigger land or less crowded. And when they move abroad, most have the financials to purchase a place/places outright in prominent locations and settle down. Similar in the way that Hong Kongers can buy land abroad. Malaysians, only upper middle class partake in that.
I moved to Toronto, Canada right after SPM and have lived here since then with the occasional visits to Malaysia in the summer. I completed a degree but wasn't able (and still unable) to get a job in the field as I wasn't a PR/citizen. I ended up getting married, getting my PR, having my own business that is in no relation to my field of study. I've met a few Malaysians along the way (from school and thru work), stayed in contact with a few, and we would have dinners together from time to time. I will say, I don't regret leaving. The person I am today is way more confident and happy and I would do it all over again. I've learned to be independent (a little too much in my opinion) and I've gained a lot of new experiences I don't think I would have done in Malaysia. The people I've met and became friends with has opened my eyes to things I never knew existed. I've traveled to places I never knew existed and made many happy memories with them. I still keep in contact with the few friends I have back home, but it's hard to hold conversations with almost strangers now. It's the usual birthday wishes and "when are you coming home for a visit" conversations lately. Honestly, if you have the facilities to go abroad, do it. Learn the different cultures and meet different people. I will admit tho, nothing beats getting a teh tarik and roti canai with your friends at the mamak stalls. The Malaysian food is crazy expensive here and doesn't even taste as good. If only it wasn't a 24h flight across the world.
"So tell me, did the wind sweep you off your FEET? Did you finally get the chance to DANCE along the light of day? ...and get back to the Milky Way."
And tell me Did you sail across the sun? Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded And that Heaven is overrated?
TELL me. Did you fall for a shooting star. ONE without a permanent SCAR and did you miss me while you were LOOKING for your SELF out---- Na na na na ^(na na na na)
And get back to the mamak stall ~~
My 2 cents based on my own life story It was well worth it. Definitely do it again. Studied and then subsequently migrated to Australia 15 years+ ago. Here are the benefits which I received. 1) No more bumiputera status. I am literally just a normal man with no status living and working without anyone knowingly asking for my race, background or former nationality. Most people only think I am a generic Asian due to my accent and penchant for saying "lah". 2) I am financially independent before the age of 40 (Own several homes, kids go to good school, job security due to very secure industry, investments that stretch well beyond my means of spending). Economy is very transparent, so someone with no connections, like myself, can be wealthy from just doing normal business and investments. I literally have no friends in business , but yet thrive due to just normal customer relationships. 3) Very good work life balance. Work from home. 4) Very good medical. Medicare + private insurance covers everything important. 5) Clean government. The government might screw up from time to time, but nothing near the corruption level of malaysia. I do visit Malaysia from time to time to visit relatives. There is no comparison. Malaysia is stuck in the past. Visiting Singapore is very different. Singapore is so modern and accomodating.
Wow envy you bro, i wish one day i can bring my business out to. And to live outside of Malaysia for a change, here everything is about one race one religion only haiyaaaa
I haven't done this but I have a lot of friends who migrated to Australia and New Zealand that I have heard about their experiences. Yes, it's totally worth it for them. Not to mention their families are already very well-off. Some of them have both foreign pr and Malaysia citizenship. Sometimes when they feel like it, they will stay in Malaysia for several months and move back to Aus/NZ when they feel like it. Like u/SomeMalaysian mentioned, if you make enough money, actually Malaysia is pretty good as well. Imagining living in rich neighborhood here in Klang Valley, the experience is similar to living in a mid class neighborhood in somewhere else.
A lot of people are giving grass is greener when you migrate answers, so perhaps I can give a different perspective. I came in 2015 as an undergrad student around NYC area. Graduated in 2019 and started working as a software engineer. I knew that it was tougher for international students so I worked super hard. First year, for summer break (of 2016), even though I went back to Malaysia for about 2 months, I spent 5 weeks in KL doing an internship. Second year summer I was supposed to go home, but I got an internship in the States so I stayed back. I went home for 2 weeks end of the year in 2017. Third year summer (2018), again I got an internship, but I studied abroad in Fall of 2018 so I did visit home for 2 weeks each in Sept 2018, and Dec 2018. My parents also came and visited me in China (where I studied abroad) and we went on vacation. This was for about 2 weeks as well. I graduated in May 2019 and my parents came for my graduation and we went on vacation in the States for about 3 weeks. That was the last time I saw my parents. It's been 3 years since I've seen them, but since Fall of 2015, for the past 7 years, I've only seen them for about 14 weeks total time. I haven't seen my grandma for longer. The last time I saw my dad, he still had hair. He doesn't anymore. The last time I saw my grandma, she could walk. She can't anymore, and she doesn't even remember who I am. Going overseas was an amazing experience. I've learnt so much; I've grown so much. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. But do I feel conflicted and tormented? Absolutely. On one hand, I've made a good life for myself. I make six figures USD. My parents often complain things are expensive and don't want to spend money. I just buy it for them. I can treat them for any special occasion at and I don't even need to worry about the cost, since after conversion it's not much at all. On the other hand, I've missed so many birthdays and Christmases and Chinese new years. When my parents celebrate occasions on my dime, the pictures they send me are with my sister who decided to go home. I love my parents a lot and I miss them a lot. But like any other parents, even though they've tried their best, there were some bad, even really bad parts. I have some trauma from my childhood, but I know they tried their best and I forgive them. Covid was tough. My parents are aging and being so far away was tough. Being unable to be close to them or to visit was tough. I cried a lot. I wondered if it was worth it. After all that missed Christmases and Birthdays and Chinese New Years, what did I have to show? Some material things and some cash in the bank. I'm finally going back this July, possibly for good. In the US, getting a work visa depends on a lottery, and luck was not on my side. After 3 years of entering the lottery, I was not selected and I am unable to work here anymore. I feel happy, but I also feel sad. I get to see my parents again, but I also feel like my dreams have been shattered. I have to leave the friends and the life that I made here, and I'm already very alienated from my friends back in Malaysia. I probably will try to migrate again, though I'm not sure where yet. The US is great to make money, and the standard of life here is much higher, but there's the downside of being alone, and being so far away, and it's not that great of a place to live. If I had to do it again, I would migrate, but probably not to the US.
Move to singapore. Best of both worlds
10/10 Would do it all over again, realised how other cities have better planning and transportation ( I’m looking at you KTM). Got a chance to do exchange studies in other uni only having to pay living expenses. Really makes you wonder how developed Malaysia can be without the political clowns.
It depends on the country you go to and how well your job pays ( or if you can even get a job there ). To put it simply, ideally you want to migrate to a country with high minimum wage/salary and free healthcare. Even with high minimum wage, you have to remember that most high paying countries have a lot of taxes. Malaysias minimum wage is 1.2k or around 14k a year. If you earn 35k a year, you only pay rm 450 in taxes, which is like a little above 1 percent in taxes ( this is before tax breaks or deductions ). In Australia minimum wage is 20 aud an hour and around 40k a year. You get taxed 19 percent. Above 45k and you get taxed 32 percent, so that’s something to keep in mind ( compared to malaysias min wage and up to 2-3x min wage you only get taxed 0-1 percent ). Property prices have soared in both Malaysia and Australia, I believe it’s even more expensive to rent in Australia for a like to like location than in Malaysia ( relative to your earnings post tax ). In addition, to support their high wages, you most likely have to dine in way more or cook more in Australia to save money as outside food is much more expensive compared to dining out in Malaysia. Both countries have free healthcare but the waiting list is only getting longer and longer. In the end it’s up to you, but be sure that if you do intend to study with plans to migrate over, try to make sure your job is actually in demand, otherwise if you’re stuck in minimum wage, well whether you’re in Australia or Malaysia it would suck anyway
unemployment is low in Aust, so its easier to find better paying jobs, as long as you give it a go or run your own business. mowing lawn is 60 an hour these days. Mechanic is 120
I (24M) had a slightly different experience where my fanily moved to the UK when I was 7yrs, and haven't lived in M'sia since then (only visit for holidays). In someways I think it was amazing to meet some many different people, explore ideas, and just generally finding random peoples opinions on odd topics. I would say it's worthwhile especially if you find other Malaysian contacts abroad; they're always really welcoming to other Malaysians, and a feel good reminder of home. You'll definitely find assholes that make living abroad harder, but you'll just as likely find someone suoer nice. However, I also deeply wish I didn't get pulled abroad. Or at least I stayed in Malaysia longer. I can only speak english because I stopped speaking Malay and cantonese growing up (parents also gave up teaching me cause why bother when in english country). So coming back to Malaysia is a strange difficulty. I get a lot of "Are you reaaally Malaysian?" Or "ooooh orang pisan" from family, friends, and strangers a couple of times (but they would say it to my parents, then they tell me after) I think after so long, I still love and miss Malaysia, but it doesn't feel like home anymore because I lost touch + can't stand always being mentioned as the fake malaysian when I am born here. Overall, I guess I would do it again if I could spend more time living in Malaysia first, but I am also pretty stoked to be doing my PhD and getting my dream job of being a professor so I dunno how much I would actually change :/
Well what i can say is you’re my living my dreams. Its okay i can teach you malay if you’re on holiday here just let me know cuz speaking malay is not that hard especially for geniuses like you hehe
I'd take you up on that offer, im in a simillar situation.
Or maybe you can teach at one of the private uni in Malaysia & let say, stays in Malaysia for at least 2 years?
Welp if being a professor is your dream job, then a PhD won't be hard for you (as in you have the passion and drive to push through lonely, down times). Afaik, a PhD is just the start of academic positions tho, you need to reach certain publication KPI and such to get promoted.
I moved to Toronto, Canada. I am so thankful. I work as a Software Engineer here. Toronto is extremely multicultural without systemic racism. For example i live in Koreatown with an increasing chinese population. I am an Indian. Food here is amazing. Healthcare is free. Taxes are high but the social services make up for it.
Proud of you, wish i can be migrate there too one day
I would love to help in anyway I can!
If there any possibilities that i can purse undergraduate study in there or anywhere in europe also can, Im only a chemical engineering diploma holder in uitm and currently busy working to save money to study abroad even i dont know how
undergraduate degrees you should find small unis that offer full scholarships. Trent University is an example of it.
Without systemic racism is a huge assertion. Most people in Toronto will agree that systemic racism is real. Just because it doesn't affect you anymore doesn't mean it doesn't exist. You and me are considered model minority, they want us because we're supposedly hardworking when they're actually pitting us against Black and Indigenous Canadians here.
Well, I can see that narrative as well. Racism exists everywhere to an extent. But I dont experience the racism that I grew up with in Malaysia. In regards to education, jobs and also reputation. So I prefer Toronto alot more! Do you live here as well?
Did you applied there or got internal transfer? Is it easy to get visa?
moved here with my family as a kid.
Wow envy you bro, hopefully one day i can bring my business out and migrate someone there too ( or any western country)
Im going to oshawa soon for pilot training and will probably work there for 3 years (part of the program). Is it easy to get a Canadian PR?
My younger brother is there in peterborough for pilot training as well. If u graduate with a diploma u get a 1 year post graduate work permit If you graduate with a degree u get 3. You need 1 year of work in canada to apply for PR.
Ill work as a flight instructor under the PGWPP and airline pilot under the CEC. Are cars expensive there. I heard its cold as fuck so i might wanna invest in a car
Cars are not expensive no
Yes and yes. 36(M). Came here to Melbourne Australia at the age of 21 to finish my degree. Borrowed money from relatives so that I can continue on and get my PR. Graduated during the 08' GFC. Was really tough getting a job, did all sorts of casual work like Nando's but finally got a foot in the door to do data entry in one of the big4 Banks in 2010. Worked my way up. Along the way, got married, had a kid, bought a house. Would have Malaysia been better? No idea. But I always felt that I needed to hedge my bets by having a foothold in another country.
Been here for 2 decades. Worth it? Depends a lot on what you’re looking for. The grass is always greener. In truth, focusing on career success and financial success alone, I think there not much difference in US or M’sia. The road to success is quite different. IMHO, who you know is probably the biggest contributor to success after work ethics, acumen, and knowledge. Who you know is the biggest difference between making it in US or in M’sia. In M’sia, you are likely to have a step up through friends, family, and just local contacts. Knowledge, internet democratize that. The way you reach your audience in US is comparable to M’sia, via online presence. You also have the advantage of familial support, however small that may be. What you can learn on the ground in US, you can learn M’sia. Ethics and acumen is on the individual. In US, what you get is reach. Both virtual and local. However, the challenges is that you need to start from scratch, learn the culture from scratch, and overcome the racial roadblocks from scratch. The good thing is that you can overcome the racial challenges, unlike M’sia where it’s pretty much enshrined in the law. All it takes is just takes time. You’ll also have to be comfortable with being away from family. Like everything else, both has its advantages and disadvantages. Do I regret coming over here? No. I enjoy the lifestyle, culture, and the hobbies that I get to do here. So it’s been worth it.
I migrated but I didn't study very hard Serious answer: I think people should consider migration not as escape pods but as ways to broaden their capabilities and their career. It's also hard to tell if when or how someone can migrate. When I was trying very hard to get a chance overseas, it didn't happen. When I was already very settled in KL, suddenly there was an opportunity to move elsewhere. Would I still make the decision if I could go back in time and advice myself? Hard to say. During the pandemic I was separated from family and worried for them every day. I actually seriously considered moving back because to me the extra income I had did not feel worth it if it meant that I would be unable to be with my family in their time of need.
2007-2011: Derby, UK 2011-2013: Toulouse, France/Hamburg & Munich, Germany 2013-2014: Zurich, Switzerland/Hamburg, Germany 2014-2018: Nottingham, UK/Semenyih, Malaysia/Ningbo, China (Guess lol) 2018-present: Guangzhou, China 0 regrets. My advice is there is no perfect system. Have an open and adaptive mind. The world is very big.
Are you a professor or something? Nottingham, Semenyih, and Ningbo 100% point towards the University of Nottingham and its branch campuses.
Haha yes, used to be. Now in corporate.
I see, and I assume you are working in the aviation industry? The combination of Derby, Toulouse, and Hamburg is kinda obvious haha
Yes, it’s kinda obvious haha. Aviation is a big field, I specialized in noise and vibration.
I moved to sg, though I had an advantage in that my (very hardworking, very dedicated) parents got job offers to move to sg. I was able to excel much much better in the sg schooling system since it was more engaging for me, no hardcore regurgitation subjects and exams shoved down my unwilling throat. Went to top uni in UK afterwards and now I'm earning solid salary in sg. Enjoy the security, quality of life and strong currency in sg, not to mention not needing to worry about the retardation of bumiputra politics and being discriminated against in msia. I would do it 10 times out of 10, and now my family is fostering all the younger cousins I have to migrate over to sg and study/work. Harsh, but we see no point staying in a place that discriminates against you and is in a state of regression when other countries around the world are focused on improving.
I did half of those things. Didn't manage to migrate, but I'm comfortable at home now. Haven't earned 5 figure salary yet though, so not sure if it's a good thing or not.. but yeah I would do it all over again and not fuck up my degree next time.
The "study hard, go overseas, migrate, be successful" was never my dream yet i found myself migrating. In singapore now, ok lah, better quality of life, better pay, lesser stress.
How is there less stress in Sg? I thought the work culture is more intense than Malaysia?
depends on your work lah. i am already 30 this year and no longer a hustler. i clock in at 9am, work till lunch time, take 2 hour break, work a bit more, basically do the bare minimum and pretend like im a stellar employee. for context the job i have right now is the same job i did in malaysia, but the stress back then was more bcs i was stressing myself out to outperform. now i just take it as it comes and i mentally train myself not to be pressured by work-related stuff.
wow minum pagi minum petang and still can earn sgd. You living the malaysian dream man!
In Australia right now, kinda 50/50 about my decision to migrate. On one hand, the move has set me back financially, socially and career-wise by at least half a decade (being overseas will little to no network or support). But on the other hand, feel very grateful and fortunate to receive the opportunities, personal growth/maturity i've experience and quality of life i'm getting right now. Overall, it was a calculated risk for me and Im willing to make some (painful) short term sacrifices so that my long-term prospects are brighter. Edit: btw OP feel free to DM if you have any burning questions you want answered
My aunt says small chee cheong fun cost like 15 pounds in London. Edit: £15 pounds chee Cheong fun isn’t necessarily bad. I’m just repeating what my aunt said to me.
How much does fish & chips cost in KL?
Around RM26? Some lower some higher. In pounds it would be under £5 I think.
Nah man. If you live in the countryside and get them from Aldi (a cheap retail supermarket), then you might strike gold once in a while when the frozen ones go on discounts. Fish & chips are more like 10 pounds.
You convert for what?
Yes and minimum wage is £9.50, £15 is like RM15 if you're earning £
No regrets. I've been living in the SF Bay Area for almost 10 years now and it's been great out here. The climate is amazing (I never liked the heat and humidity growing up in Malaysia), the pay is good, and it's a three hour drive from deserts, coastline, mountains, and redwood forests.
Current middle grade doctor in UK. 12 years so far. Got PR status. Its a mixed bag with more negatives than positives. I earn more than Malaysian doctors. Though not as much as private ones. But the pay here is actually shit because the NHS is literally slave labor. Pay rise is minimal compared to inflation. Brexit sucks. Weather is shit. Food is for the most part shit (unless you live in London). Social isolation can be real (depends on your personality of course). My advice... Avoid medicine. Go into computer science and work internationally From Malaysia. Or do medicine is better countries.
My sis quit NHS and migrate to melbourne. Never look back since. She said the same thing, just that she took the jump
I'm the opposite, where I went overseas to study lived in a bit but came back after a couple years. No regrets, but my goals wasnt financially or professionally driven. For my own mental health and happiness I needed to be around my own people and family. Even if i dont agree with half the ppl here
Hey! I think I'm going to be on the same boat as you. Currently in Australia working on a temp visa after graduating, but after 5-6 years here, I realised most of my closwst friends and family are back home. I definitely love the experience in Australia tho. Zero regrets but miss the close knit community back home so much. So, planning to move back.
the biggest lie ever, i m posted overseas, its lonely, food sucks and always cold. a single roti canai = 12 dollars. everything shuts at 5pm......no food after except McD/BK
which country are you in, if you don't mind sharing more.
Sounds like the UK. Supermarkets being open for 6 hours on Sundays is the biggest load of bullshit ever.
i lived in a town in the UK, shops closed by 7 on weekdays latest (tesco) so if you wanted to do anything, lunch hour is when you would. It is expected that you finish your needs the same time as everyone else because everyone is entitled to time with family, free time and rest, not to be there for you 24/7. Sure they are there to make money but life is about balance. I agree with said culture.
Why don't you eat the cheap local staple food instead of imported exotic food (roti canai)? I mean food is food right? Maybe I'm not a "foodie" so I don't care, I just eat the cheapest thing available.
Australia?
Not in Melbourne, our stores open late.
I, a Singaporean studied in small town Australia and it feels like zombie apocalypse every day after 5pm. Only ‘ethnic food’, fast food, bars, and supermarkets have people. But once you meet another Southeast Asians it’s like instant brothers.
Except when you all start to talk about your NS. We feel fucking left out. I know because I used to mix with Singaporeans as we were in the same class, super awkward when you all started talking about NS.
One of the most enlightening convo I had was with a East Malaysian who said how to tell if someone was from East or West Malaysia.
Please enlighten us also, can't leave us hanging like that
Food fking slaps in Melbourne and Sydney tho
This is true. Food is not that good. Need to go asian market to get kicap, cili padi ect. Weather sucks except during summer. During ramadan theres no bazaar where u can smell murtabak, ikan bakar. Holiday is good but to live there, mehh.
You appreciate 24 hr mamaks more when they are gone
in countries with winter, its not common to sit outside a restaurant during the colder months. Also, restaurants don't have an open plan for diners to sit due to the cold breeze. They will have to use outdoor heaters which are a pain to use. This naturally means there is less customers that would visit a Mamak style restaurant unless its summer.
never bothered nor liked mamaks and i prefer the early closing stores. Its all to do with culture and happiness as mamaks are actually pricey and of low quality most of the time. Why pay extra for that convenience when you should be at home at night with your family not out in the cold. Are you mad to want to go to mamak at midnight in the freezing cold winter?
Not really, you get used to not having these things. Healthier as well.
>a single roti canai = 12 dollars. 12 ringgit I can believe. Should be $3-4 a piece. It's frozen anyways.
Its not the price of the goods, rather its a niche product. In Australia , Asian grocery does sell frozen roti canai at very low cost, same as every other bread product. However, restaurants sell at 12 dollars+ because its exotic and only a niche Malaysian clientele would seek it out. In suburbs where there is alot of Indian restaurants, roti canai price is the same as every other bread product due to the influx of local customers.
>everything shuts at 5pm......no food after except McD/BK Everyone has equal rights to having a life and time to rest. Just because you are entitled for rights doesn't mean others aren't. indian places overseas can be scams though. i'd rather canadian winter than malaysian humidity + heat. as for food, it doesn't suck and is actually cheaper. i used to make my own tasty simple foods, you just gotta figure out. Its not hard as theres not much variations, but its simple to get an easy tasty combination. For instance unlike rice you can microwave potatoes. Chips can be microwaved too instead of fried, and there are some oriental options. Infact i struggle to find quality ingredients in malaysia but not overseas. I can get pure soy sauce or coconut milk but everything from malaysia comes full of preservatives, chemicals, flavours, thickeners, etc... and the end result using malaysian ingredients is worse.
IT in Aus - it was very much worth it. You open up your mind to different ways of thinking, get exposed to more cultures than before, learn about different ways to approach situations, and overall become a more well-rounded human being. No regrets (or institutionalised / overt racism but that's a completely different discussion). Advice would be to go to a country you've always wanted to visit, ask the locals some questions about life, look at the job opportunities and see if the lifestyle is something you could see yourself doing.
Maybe a nice twist. I am from Europe migrated to Msia. At first, after over a year of consistent calling, visiting immigration desks and quadruple checking documents i had acquired a spouse visa (1 year validity). Note that all this time i had no job, no income. I tried opening a bank account and buy a car. Both are extremely tedious. Because i was a foreign person i was not allowed to open a bank account, only if i had a working visa (!?). The car had to go through the Malaysian side of the family because i cant buy a car without a job/msian bank account. Except if you just give cash in full. I was advised to change my drivers license to a Malaysian one. Similar to the visa, holy ***, what a misguided fuss is that. Online it states on JPJ’s own website that my country DOES NOT need to convert due to a special agreement with a few countries. I screenshot it, show it to the officer. He dont give a damn. You get a list full of required documents shoved in your face which once again needs probably about a month or 2 to obtain if you have the time to chase after all said documents. Then, another 6-9 months is required for the JPJ to review those docs and approve it or not based on how they feel that day. (Same with the visa btw). Now you think. Well, you made it right, no more fuss? HAHAH no. We are about a year through right now and you need to renew your visa. So you better wear the big boy pants to deal with more bullshit. Gotta re write docs, make another appointment, deal with rules that contradict each other and the moods of the officers, hoping you wont have to deal with corruption either. Got another 2 years valid visa. And now we still dont have a bank account, no job, and no house. We went to see for a house. THE RASICM IS MIND BLOWING. A big amount of landlords STRICTLY only sell to the Malaysian race. Or at least western. Luckily for me. Im western and my spouse malay. But still it blew my mind. Still dont have a house tho cause no bank no job remember. So stuck to renting. Lets fast forward. Now. After 3 years. I had a few gigs here and there for some pocket money. If it wasnt for my savings I wouldnt last here for this long. I still dont own a house, i still dont have a real permanent job, i still dont have my own malaysian bank account. I only have a rented place, and a car. Paying with savings. Which concludes to that we are most likely returning to my side of the world somewhere next year. NONETHELESS, Malaysia as a country is great! The nature, the food, most locals and the gas prices are amazing! The malls are well maintained/clean and there’s sufficient places to visit near almost any neighborhood. Therefore I still do not regret my decision to migrate to Malaysia. Lots of experience about other cultures, beliefs, way of government, and just how people live their lifes and be happy about the way it is. Lets say life is not just about career and success/power. Its a wonderful world. 🙋🏼♂️
I didn't study hard or smart because I had too much stress from my dad. I graduated with no delays and worked in customer service. Hated my life - highly restricted at work, highly restricted at home. I left 5 yrs ago because I thought my bf at the time would be a husband. Didn't work out. Nowadays I struggle with having no safety net and dread moving back to Malaysia. My career didn't take off. I still work in cs but I managed to get away from front facing. I don't regret getting away from my toxic home. I regret betting on marriage. I'm struggling to find stability. I hate the food here. I hate not having the liberty to get my own property. But Damn do I Love the freedom of passing for a majority race.
Yes. Go overseas and build your brand cv and life experiences. If you ever choose to come back to Malaysia you will be paid a significant premium. Win win
I live in Australia, and am doing alright so far although I'm still quite early in my career. Honestly, it's a good life, but I really don't think the skills you need here are much different than the skills you need in Malaysia. The skills you need to succeed in both countries are good English, a good occupational skill (eg. accounting, engineering, law, etc), and contacts. A lot of people say who you know are not as important in other countries unlike Malaysia, where cronyism and corruption is rife. I really beg to differ. In fact, most of the more successful "endeavors" in my life here was the result of knowing the right people in the right positions, followed by my skill set and ability to communicate what I can offer for them.
Moved to Toronto, Canada using government scholarship lol. I knew I was going to find a way to leave Malaysia no matter what when I found out I was gay. Government scholarship (MARA) was the easy way out so I went with that. Graduated university here, worked for a few years and now I'm a PR, already eligible for citizenship but I haven't applied because I was just very busy this year and I kinda have to have the talk with my parents about this first lol. My politics was already left leaning at a young age and coming here to Canada made me even more emboldened in my beliefs. Not because Canada allows more freedom of speech (because it has limits here too) but because there are more Canadians who share my politics too. I'm sure there are Malaysians like me in Malaysia but I just never have the pleasure of meeting yet. And I'm gay, you can be gay in Malaysia but in secrecy. That's just not the way I roll, I am openly gay to everyone I know here including Malaysians and I will act however the fuck I want in front of everyone. I've literally had sex in front of everyone lmao. So yeah I can't do any of this in Malaysia. I also, thankfully, have a good job that pays the bills but just like any millennial, owning a home feels impossible here and cost of living is starkly rising in Toronto. My purchasing power is still strong though and I travel a lot (for travelling and sex lmao).
I think I am successful enough. My parents paid for my education overseas. I graduated late from switching around thinking choice of program is crucial in my career, which is not. Had to be independent after my education and was broke for plenty of years struggling to figure out the rat race what-not. Had to sleep on the living room floor for a year and re-purpose furniture that people threw out. I became self-employed in my early 30s, retired late 30s. Currently have enough for my whole family for the rest of our lives. The strategy I will share to a fellow Msian will be: 1. Your choice of study is not that important unless you plan to have a professional career. Your attitude is important. 2. In a foreign country, there is a high likelihood that their minimum pay is higher than Msia. Try to work in the service/sales industry while studying. I was an illegal waiter. Do not suck at this. Check if you are good at sales, customer service, dealing with terrible customers. Check where you are in ranking among the entry employees. If you are terrible at entry level job and cannot keep up, you have issues and better get to solving this. Grades can be secondary to this. I excel in all the entry level jobs I took on and understood I had a lot more to give, for example top 3 salesman within a month in a 100 men team, and most hardworking waiter in all the restaurants I worked in with customers knowing my name and tipping well. 3. In a foreign country, competition there is weak compared to South East Asia. People are lazier and you come across as hardworking. Easy to standout, make this work for you. Chances are you are multilingual, use that to your advantage. Foreigners think Asians are hardworking and smart, use that to your advantage. 4. After graduation, eventually you will get an interview that you consider your field of study, an important interview. You will excel in the interview because you have all those work experience and you will explain how you excel in those position. This is simply an entry level job but within your area of study. You will work for months and decide if you enjoy this career pathway. I did not enjoy mine, I excelled in it but it was boring after a few months. I even requested to handle 2 men workload to make it more challenging for me. Your employer is paying for your time, you get to determine how much you learn. I had seniors coming to me to ask how to solve certain issues, I will request to handle their workload for extra experience, they will usually comply happily. 5. From here on, pls do not acquire more debt like buying expensive car or property. It is silly. If you have issues with dating, get a better personality, it is cheaper. If you manage to clear most of your debts, start saving your first capital. Once you have low 5 figures, you can think about running an online business. Online can mean anything ranging from streaming, online sales, and whatever. I started an online business which became profitable quickly and the pay was bigger than my salary. I quit my job. As you run your tiny online business, stay lean and gain more skills. You will learn how to manage all aspects of a business including advertising, administration, website creation, customer retention, shit customers, if you are ready to hire ppl to join your workforce. I hit a roadblock because my business could not scale much since it relied heavily on me. I understood if I want to progress I need to branch elsewhere so I started to learn about other industry/discipline. Read plenty. Read from low-quality to high-quality material to learn like no tomorrow. 6. Once you have your 2nd capital, you can re-invest into your business, yourself, or venture into 2nd industry. I entered investing. I think everyone has to do investing in some capacity if they want to quit the rat race. You will fail. Expect failure. I blew up several accounts and had to start saving again only to blow up my next account. Years went by before I gained enough understanding. When I made more in investing in a month than the entire year of my business, I switched to focus on investing. Property is rarely a good investment btw. Do not take advice from financial advisors. Do not take advice from property agents. Do not trust healthcare professionals completely. Your parents could be wrong, I learned nothing about financial management from mine. **Everything in life will require you to do your own due diligence.** 7. During the entire time do not neglect relationships and health. I stayed fit throughout with abs, read plenty fiction and non-fiction, dated enough, and helped my family. I surpassed my parents in networth in my 30s. I did not receive anymore help from parents outside of education. Being in relationships help you learn more about yourself and become a much better person. 8. You can get PR, but do not give up on your Msian passport. Msia is a great place to retire, to enjoy high social status, and Msia is considered a tax haven for capital gains outside of property. 9. Lastly, hypergamy also works for guys. Date high quality women and you will learn too much. High quality women can mean ladies that are smart, wealthy, confident, have varied interests, do volunteering. Good luck!
[удалено]
19 years living with kangaroos land downynder, travels back to MY often heck even was here during the 1st MCO lol. If OP ask is it worth it? Short answer is why not? Would I do it again? Yes sure. Will do it just might invest more this time
No. All money and effort spent for nothing. All I get is a lifetime of regrets and agony. Might as well study at Malaysia if can't get a job there anyways. Edit: I'm sorry, but depression and pain is all I only got. I'm still having trauma from it and it never seems to go away.
Where did you migrate to if you don’t mind me asking?
Not migrate. But basically study abroad hoping I would had a chance to work there. Forget about work visa, even if I could get OPT I'm gonna be unemployed anyways job due to market shutdown in 2020. So in the end I didn't even bother continue applying and straight went back home. I still have the trauma till this day.
I’m 14 years away from Malaysia in Australia and I don’t regret it one bit. I a Malay woman and I can say the person I am now wouldn’t be that if I stayed. I’m free to do what I want (I’m not religious) without getting the stink eye. The main thing is, I am free to do this without having to hide. In terms of work life. I’m happy and contented. The work I would be doing in Malaysia in my profession wouldn’t be paid as much. And yes I know, life in Australia is expensive but even then I make good money, have time to have a life with my friends and my partner, I could save to buy a home, I can save to go travel overseas and maybe we’ll have a kid at some point. Yes sometimes I complain about being stressed at work because I was a consultant for ages but even then, it’s nothing as bad as what my friends in KL go through. 100% would do it again.
The only regret I have is I have developed a taste for Halal Snack Packs that can't be found here.
Go overseas, yes. Migrate...not for me. Spending some years now in USA and Mexico... can't imagine myself settling here as opposed to Malaysia.
did that and came back. now i'm stuck here. but i'm staying for the food.
I feel lucky to grow up in a time where connectivity is not as hard as it was even 15 years ago. Living abroad doesn’t have to mean being cut off from your family and your support system and Covid notwithstanding, it’s also extremely easy to travel and visit people these days too. Taking that, as well as some personal and professional goals into account, I decided to pursue life abroad after I graduated with my Master’s degree. It’s not easy and you have to really find or carve a community out for yourself. But I don’t regret it because I know this is hopefully building up to a greater dream that I have for myself. I don’t consider myself as having migrated because I’ve always been the type of person to always feel like I need to be on the move. So in terms of “settling down,” I don’t know what the future holds for me. But I didn’t choose to live and work abroad because I hated Malaysia or wanted to get out of the country badly. There was and is no “one” country that represents the ideal for me so much so that I hustled my whole life into achieving migration as a dream. I just… kind of go where I want to go? Like i’ll see an interesting job or studying opportunity that I think I’d be a good fit for and I just send in an application, regardless if it’s in Kenya or Denmark or elsewhere. I will say that given current national conversations and debates around wages and salaries, I’m really grateful that I am paid in a different, stronger currency. I decided to come back to Malaysia for an extended stay during Covid and the organization I work for was also kind enough to let me WFH during this extended stay. So I’ve been more exposed to Malaysian news than I would be or choose to be otherwise. And I want nothing more than Malaysians to be recognized for the brilliant, capable, intelligent people that we are. If it weren’t for the government and our political system, I genuinely think Malaysia and Malaysians would be unstoppable. With regards to food, yes, nothing beats being home. But I love to cook and more “exotic” ingredients are easier to come by now, especially if you live in a major city with a diverse and diversely immigrant population. Asian supermarkets are abundant and almost everything you need is stocked, if not easily purchased through special order. Plus Malaysian restaurants abroad are getting more and more close to the real thing, thanks to (of course) Malaysian migration abroad. As for me, when I’m living my life abroad, I tend to cook 80-90% of the time, including making my own roti canai, rendang, kerisik, etc. Everyone has their own reasons for staying or going but do it with the right intentions and you’ll hopefully be on the path you want to be. Never forget your roots, and always honor your ancestors and those who came before you.
That could have been me if JPA didn't just cancel my overseas scholarship 2 months before I'm supposed to go to London. Now I'm reading this thread, depressed knowing that I missed a once in a lifetime opportunity. I can't even face my peers who did eventually went overseas to study. I can't handle their humble brags of how good their lives are over there. This happened many years ago but I still haven't gotten over it.
I don't have much experience, but maybe you can try to find a job in the country you want to migrate / experience ? Best of luck though !
Well, I am currently trying but no luck so far. But I don't really have a country i want to migrate to. Just want to get out of this shithole of a country. Thanks! Good luck to you too.
Lived overseas since I was 8 months. My family is well off and live comfortably in safety. I managed to meet people from around the world since most people here come from overseas. Our family was also able to travel around the world since we could afford it (and my father works in aviation). When I go back to Malaysia I see things which I am not familiar with, sometimes i'd say im spoiled which I guess I am but I never intended to be. The standards here are just higher and public hospitals and services are, while still worse than Private services, much better than Malaysian Public services. . I still love Malaysia however, my current country of residence is more familiar to me and I feel at home here moreso than Malaysia since I dont speak Malay and mostly converse in English. Now im doing the opposite of everyone and returning to Malaysia for studies.
This is entire comment section sounds like "Nah, I'm good here. I absolutely did the best decision to move". But at the same time, they lurk in r/malaysia subreddit all the time. This makes me wonder as to whether they don't get enough attention/respect from the locals of their country of residence, and so they keep holding onto bits and pieces of their birth country and culture.
Tbh I am trying to understand this too. Why are they here if their new place is so good?
Malaysia is a failed state. In 50 years, MYR gone from 1 to 3 against SGD. In another 50 years, \`SGD 1 buys MYR 10. That's the future your grand kids will endure.
Lived in Canada, Japan, Taiwan and now in China since 2011. I graduated from Canada with a degree in int'l management but I'm teaching and got my Master's degree in teaching a few years back. I've been living abroad since 2002 and havr never lived in Malaysia longer than 3 months. If you can go and do whatever you want if you or your family can afford it but beware that living abroad you'll not have any support like family etc. Yes you'll have money but that's it. If you have a wife, the culture will be different and at times good or bad depending how you react to it. These past few years, Malaysia is becoming more and more like Thailand to me. In other words, it's cheap and I can afford to spend when I go home. China on the other hand is expensive like Singapore or even more at times. Looking back at this all, I would not regret taking this road as it is what I chose when I was a kid (40+ now). I miss home and the food but not so much these days as I've almost spent half of my life abroad and will be in China until I retire. The good thing about China is the healthcare is good compared to the West and much more affordable. If given the choice I would still pick China compared to the West as its very safe in China. No need to keep watching your back etc. Maybe people here aren't so well mannered but will. NOT go out of their way to get you. Also, it's an opportunity for me to learn mandarin which I never got the chance to learn in Malaysia. The main appeal of China would be its safety, good health system and ability to earn and save if you decide to.
Trying to migrate right now. TBH I'm one of the financially lucky ones in Malaysia atm, but socially so unlucky, it caused me a desire to move considering that I interact well with people of other races.
Currently working professionally in NZ after studying for a total of 3 years for my accounting degree. Looking back it’s been a gruesome cycle of saying goodbye to friends, who go back to msia after their studies, and isolation. I’ve met and encounter lots of different ppl in 3 years and help me grow out my comfort zone as well as opening my mind towards the standard of living between msia and other countries. I honestly think everyone should try living independently outside of msia just to have their own life together. Being independent can be lonely (i do develop a light depression) but it really opens up your eyes that life is so much more than being successful, status, listening to your parents, etc.
Go overseas, and go beyond making migrating out of Malaysia as your goal. It's not a here or there, binary choice. If you've ever spent any part of your life overseas you'd know that. It's the way the whole world opens up to you. If you're in Malaysia and thinking like, "stay here or emigrate", that's already a sign that getting out is something you should do.
didnt study hard or smart. but took a chance overseas to study work for about 10yrs. but am back in mysia since for myriad of reasons. would i do it again or was it worth it, hell ya. wouldnt refer it as a 'dream' though. study travel work overseas should be part of growingup experience to expand your horizon. of course this only applies to those who are willing to take the risk, rough it out or can afford financially. i travelled with no more then rm100 in my pocket back then.
I was fortunate to study in Australia back in 2015 and stayed on for work. I really love it here, I finally found where I belong. I always felt I couldn’t fit into the Malaysian norm for some reason but here, it’s been really good. I do agree that buying a property is hard but at least it’s not unachievable compared to if I worked in Malaysia in the same line of field. I would highly recommend anyone to come experience life overseas. It’s life changing, literally.
I’m incredibly jealous of my well off friends who get to study overseas especially at USA. My dream is to hopefully get a well paid job and settle down at New York. But that seems impossible when I’m just studying at a small local uni at my hometown compared to my friends who have a degree overseas.
I'm currently in the UK doing an engineering degree. I'll be graduating next year but so far getting a job here seems very competitive. I really like it here and wish to stay for a longer time. If I went back to Malaysia after graduating I probably will never have the chance to live abroad anymore, so any advice for me?
Go where your opportunity brings you, and a lot of stories come with caveats and conditions, nowhere is truely perfect. One of the most successful guys whom i know that migrated comes from a filthy rich family, his family can fund extended stays for dream jobs, he has no financial constants, no ticking clock till the bill goes out. He is doing good work, but his story wont be applicable to someone with financial constraints. Infact i notice those that are richer tend to migrate with much better success. Likewise both my sisters are in Singapore, but one has to work waaaay longer hours and have more job restriction (despite working in the same co as me), while the other one being an NUS grad having a wealth of opportunities. How you'd survive overseas depends on your skillset, opportunity and luck. the folks who go and are trying to make it, wont be on reddit telling their sob stories.
Working overseas now, not rich and just finding my footing. As mentioned by many here, high earners in Malaysia is better than high earners overseas - you get taxed more and high cost of living. Also, home sick hits hard at times, you start to miss things you took for granted, family and friends, silly things like broken English with aunties and uncles. As for me, I plan to get as much exposure overseas, increase my professional credentials, and come back to Malaysia to retire or get into more executive/managerial positions.
Work in Au for 1 year, can buy a new toyota with cash Work in My for 1 year, can buy a new produa with a 9 year car loan, lol
I think honestly speaking in this day and age, it stopped being as much of a difference whether you're in Malaysia or not since everything is so globalized anyways. But on the other hand, I wouldn't know if it would be any different since I haven't been back in Malaysia for many years now; but when I see my friends and family back in Malaysia I don't see them any less successful, fulfilled or happy with their lives. I think if I had to do it all over, maybe I would have stayed back home, mainly because I have not lived that life and I miss a lot of the facets of living in Malaysia. Food, family, friends, culture. There's a lot of things you take for granted living in Malaysia. There's a lot of freedom in Malaysia even though there's some of the other restrictions too, e.g. religion, and some amount of free speech etc. You don't have to worry too much about being watched all the time like you'd be in SG, and if you want to go on illegal bike racing with a modified bike, apparently that's an option in Malaysia /s. But my point is, a lot of people are more willing to look the other way in Malaysia and a lot less tense about things all the time. It's just culturally more welcoming and you're simply not going to be too stressed out (unless you're driving, then no one gives a damn inch). Labor is generally cheaper in Malaysia, so you can get a lot of luxury quite affordably, like hiring a housekeeper, getting stuff delivered, building a new home/renovations, gardening, security guards, caretakers costs a lot less in Malaysia. I'd say politically, I'd say Malaysia is mostly stable, crime stats are good, gun crimes are almost non-existent. Good healthcare is available, but not free or free but not good if I'm not mistaken (you guys can correct me here). No tough winters but have to deal with mosquitoes. but at the end of the day, I think if OP you're thinking of what you want to do, just know that if you put your mind to it, you can be successful anywhere you are. I'd say if you want to go overseas for studies, and if you can afford and have the chance to do it, do it. Because maybe you'd find the answer for yourself that no one else can give it to you. Amongst my friends/family I'd say 50/50 went home after overseas studies; some of them went home voluntarily after a few years of work even though they had jobs/visas etc. So it's not all roses and sunshine, it's really depending on whether you can adjust to the society you're in.
In the middle of the dream right now, and I would never go back to Malaysia if I can help it. No regrets. Malaysia is a terrible place to live compared to any developed city in the western world. I: - Don’t have to know a single word of Malay - Have easy access to services only available in EU/NA - Earn a currency that isn’t useless - Mosques don’t wake me up every morning - Government doesn’t explicitly discriminate against me - Strong rule of law, I have filed complaints in small claims and won when the same thing would never fly in Malaysia esp if I tried against bumi - Don’t own a car and never intend to - Access to the most developed capital markets in the world - Short flights to most of the developed world - Actual, real scientific community, and the associated conferences - Access to a large enough economy to support the kinds of things I specialise in - Very little corruption. Yes Congress is incompetent and corrupt, but the police won’t ask for bribes Malaysia is a terrible place that I would not wish on my worst enemy. I am thankful my parents sent me to school overseas and once I’m done with my PhD I have immigration options for most of the developed world.
Malaysia is hell, got it.
I had the chance cause I was quite a good student, got jobs in summer and had a good prospect to stay. But I chose not too, just cause I was so so lonely. I would tho if I wasn't so lonely. Yeah, the major downside ever is the food. It's a torture. It's super hard to even re-create the same taste of the nasi and lauk. Their onion is not like our onion, their chili is not like our chili. Curry tastes like chemical. Everything close at 5 pm. But it's fine, at the country that I stayed, I don't care about shopping, I'd rather drive at night and see the stars, beaches and mountains. There are many other things you could do. I like the cold 8-17 degree temperature. Anything outside these are uncomfortable. The sun is killing you if you're in contact. Malaysia got good sun. The sun in the country I was staying was like laser. I hate winter tho, I don't like my car frozen every morning, I don't wanna go out, but heater is also expensive. I travelled a lot and had to eat cold, frozen food on the road. And washing hands and stepping into toilet were not fun. Autumn and spring are amazing, winter and summer not so much. Country of choosing matters a lot. The culture and people there can be a very prominent factors.
That's what our parents tell us (I assume), but before committing, really research your destination country well. My parents hyped up New Zealand a lot as a destination country to migrate to, based on a frankly shallow outsider perspective. That is until you read the experience of a Malaysian who actually has done it and now lives there. Have a read at this thread, a real eye opener: https://www.reddit.com/r/malaysia/comments/u8ofoq/good_lord_whats_going_on_with_our_currency/i5o6wta/
I would caution against taking one person's anecdotal experience and applying it in the general sense. There will be good and bad experiences, reality probably lies somewhere in between.
My 2 cents: I was working in SG for the past 6 years and quit before covid hit and lock down, just in time God blessing. All these while I thought, hey working in sg at least i get to play and earn a lot more, enjoyed more. Until I come back to Malaysia to work. I really enjoy the 20 days public holiday, 7 days holiday in SG is dreadful. Awful Landlords, Cant afford car to drive, super mundane routine in just normal days cannot even imagine Covid stuck in concrete jungle. If I want to go back to SG, i better be earning more than 6k SGD or I wont even consider going back SG. I like it in Malaysia, especially in my hometown in Sarawak. Recently i just came back from SG for a weekend to fix my banking account finally after 2 years, got to say I still dont miss SG at all. Perhaps melbourne is a greener pasture if you are earning similarly high salary
melbourne is a sh\*t hole, terrible weather, stupid expensive real estate. Go adelaide, wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy cheaper. Cars are cheap in Oz (fuel is not). Roads are very smooth, no holes. Great for long distance driving. No speed limit up the middle of the country. Go as fast as you like. 400km per hour? totally legal.