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Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

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Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Living overseas

anyone here living in Malaysia?

146 replies

sanam2010 · 27/10/2013 21:59

can we have a thread to get together British expats in Malaysia? am thinking of moving there with two preschoolers and would love to chat and exchange ideas about places, kindergartens, etc etc...

OP posts:

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FatOwl · 29/10/2013 05:28

Moving in two weeks within KL, using Royal relocations. Also got quotes from crown, Santa Fe and Asian tigers, I'm paying rm6700 with RR, a good 4K below the next quote, they were recommended by a friend.
I'll let you know how it was after we move, but impressed so far with them.
Crown wanted 18k!!!!!
I did ask if the 1 in front was a typo

BraveMerida · 29/10/2013 05:54

Thanks fat owl for the recommendation....rm6700 is much more than i expected for a local move....better start making phone calls....

so hard in kl to know where to start when you need to find or do something ....can we perhaps keep this as an ongoing kl thread for all the where to buy, recommendations for etc. etc. queries.....maybe i'll start another thread....so fed up with the wild goose chases....WHITE School socks! That it ....where to find white school socks anyone?

BraveMerida · 29/10/2013 05:55

Crown must ave mistaken your move as back to the UK rather than the other side of town!

FatOwl · 29/10/2013 05:59

We do have a lot of crap to move - all the companies estimated around 100cbm (three kids, dh works from home, so all his work stuff - and he is a boarderline hoarder!)

I do always say you have to be a little bit psychic to live in KL- it's hard to find stuff out.
Do you know the Just Ask Justine FB page? She posts a lot of useful stuff and you can ask stuff like that- I'm chatting with a few other expats moving locally at the moment re moving companies.

www.facebook.com/JustAskJustineAboutKL?fref=ts

FatOwl · 29/10/2013 06:02

Plain white school socks are always an issue. I buy them in bulk when in the UK, and visitors always bring me a pack out-it's their rent for staying - bottle of duty free and a pack of school socks each for the kids- standing family joke.

BraveMerida · 29/10/2013 06:06

Yes, just ask justine pops up in my fb news feed....but I didn't think you could ask questions there like you do on a forum though...thought about it but didn't as I thought it might be intrusive to post on someone else's fb page maybe.....

BraveMerida · 29/10/2013 06:07

And shows come and go without me ever finding out about them in time.....Hairspray is a recent one!

FatOwl · 29/10/2013 06:16

Yes, I often find out things after the event. I tell you, psychic powers would be a great help

BraveMerida · 29/10/2013 06:18

And where to find the psychic powers Lah?!

BraveMerida · 29/10/2013 06:20

I will let you now of anything....I recently discovered all the wonderful concerts the Malaysian philharmonic orchestra do in the KLCC concert hall....will be checking those out for the family fun days from now.

sanam2010 · 29/10/2013 08:20

Wow this thread is amazing, I love mumsnet!

FatOwl, anything you can say about St Christopher's School in Penang? Or what would be the best pre- / primary schools in Penang? My elder one would only be in preschool for a year before joining Reception, but I was also looking at keeping them in a kindergarten from 1-6 so both kids can be together (that's why I am looking at kindergartens more than intl schools as they would only take the older ones).

But I would still love to hear which intl schools you think are the best academically in Penang?

On the visa, I saw there are these new entrepreneur visas that require you to bring in about 300k ringgit, half of which you can spend in the first year. So it's a decent cash sum but nothing like SG which I think requires several million USD.

OP posts:

FatOwl · 29/10/2013 09:44

I have to admit, I'm not as well up on Penang schools as those in KL or Johor.

Fairview and tenby are not great, run for profit and average/poor reviews, generally due to bad management and poor investment in resources (ie the teachers do their best)- it's not really what you expect for a fee paying school, but that is the problem when schools are run for profit.

St Christophers is a not for profit foundation, which is promising, as fees will be diverted back into the school. I can't find any specific reviews at the moment, but leave it with me and I'll get back to you.

I have a friend whose kids have just enrolled in the new Prince of Wales school. she is down in KL next week and I'll have a chat with her about Penang in general, if you have any specific questions.
She moves due to the cost of living in KL- her dh does short contracts in Korea and china

kreecherlivesupstairs · 02/11/2013 06:40

We returned to the UK from Malaysia a couple of months ago. For us, the constant threat of violence and kidnapping were the main impetus for our move.
We used Armstrong to ship our stuff back. Can't remember the actual cost, but it was certainly cheaper than others and all our stuff arrived seven weeks later intact.

BraveMerida · 02/11/2013 06:49

I think I live in a bubble, I know people talk about threats of kidnapping and crime, but I just don't feel it iykwim......so difficult to judge whether it's real or perceptions.

BraveMerida · 02/11/2013 06:50

Making mental note of Armstrong for the future.

Hope you are settling back into the UK fine kreecher.

BraveMerida · 02/11/2013 06:52

Does ano have any acupuncturist or holistic therapists in kl they could recommend please?

kreecherlivesupstairs · 02/11/2013 07:25

There's no doubt my experiences with robbery were real. Machete to crack a car window is a tiny bit excessive .
Settling down well back in the UK. DD is living the dream. She is now a scout.

FatOwl · 02/11/2013 12:10

Street crime is definitely on the rise

There was a kidnapping back in 2012 involving a kid at one of the international schools, but it's not as dangerous as say manilla.

How old is your dd? We do have scouts in KL

sanam2010 · 02/11/2013 16:22

Kreecher, that's scary, where in malaysia were you based?

FatIOwl, would be great if you could let me know after talking to your friend. The Prince of Wales school
Looks very good, I think it is only secondary?

OP posts:

kreecherlivesupstairs · 03/11/2013 05:55

Sorry, didn't want to be alarmist. We were in selangor rather than KL. Our neighbourhood was supposed to be on the up. The prices were on the up. 10km away, the grocery shopping was much less.
Not sure about the crime there though...

LoopaDaLoopa · 03/11/2013 06:18

Hi

I'm in KL with DH and DDs 2 and 4.

A few stories just this week of scary robberies etc. But it's important to remember it's a capital city. Scary stuff happens in London too.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 03/11/2013 06:27

True fact that Loopa. It just seemed that every other day someone was being mugged/robbed/raped in front of our flats.
We had a huge foreign student population if that's any explaination .
Possibly they were seen as worth robbing due to the amount of jewellry they wore and lap tops they carried.

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LoopaDaLoopa · 03/11/2013 06:29

Whereabouts were you, kreecher? And how was your return home?

kreecherlivesupstairs · 03/11/2013 06:57

Kota Damansara was our base.
Return home is/was great. DD has started at a brilliant school, she is able to go out alone and cycle to school etc.
DD did almost get me arrested at KL airport. We'd just watched a man without a top on be denied entry to the departures bit while the passport man checked my PP. Admittedly I do look like Myra Hindley in the photograph but it is still just about me.
DD told him I looked like a drug dealer. He gave me a very hard stare and asked for another form of identity.
That could have been because she wouldn't let it lie. Drug smuggler or dealer were the only words coming out of her mouth.
DH had gone through a couple of minutes earlier.

FatOwl · 07/11/2013 13:39

An update on schools in Penang as promised to the OP

I saw my friend who lives in Penang today.

Her ds is at the prince of Wales Secondary school (Y8). She is happy with it, new school so a few teething issues, but overall happy. Bit of a way out of town, she is thinking of moving nearer the school

Her dd has mild SEN and is repeating Y6 at St Christophers (Primary) . Much happier there than she was at very large international school in KL with minimal SEN support. Much smaller school and her dd is much happier (but that might also be to do with repeating Y6, which her previous school would not have allowed. She will go to Prince of Wales sept 2014.

Other option is Uplands (Primary and secondary), she has no personal experience, but well established and plenty of expats there happy with it.
Dalat school also popular but very Christian in practice.

HTH

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