Malaysia truly a second home

Monday, 25 January 2016

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s ranking as being among the top retirement destinations came as no surprise for expatriates who have settled here.

For Karen Palko, who arrived with the Peace Corps in 1979, Malaysia is perfect because it offered Westerners a foot in both worlds.

She said Malaysia was no third-world country and there were efficiency, culture and natural beauty.

“I would say the weather is number one. You have to have lived in the cold to appreciate the heat,” said the 57-year-old California native.

She said those seeking to settle here would also find Malaysia affordable.

Malaysia had been ranked fifth in the 2016 Global Retirement Index, issued by international Living publication, which rated 23 countries. The top four are Panama, Ecuador, Mexico and Costa Rica.

International Living, which claimed it has been helping people to retire overseas for the past 30 years, said the criteria was based on factors such as buying and renting of real estate, ease of visas, cost of living, entertainment and amenities, infrastructure and climate.

Among others, it noted that Malaysia scored strongly due to the great-value rentals and the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) visa, which lasts for 10 years.

It also said that Malaysia had excellent hospitals, highly-trained doctors and affordable healthcare.

American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce past president Datuk Nicholas Zefferys, 75, said Westerners, particularly Americans, knew little about Malaysia.

“They are pleasantly surprised at the living standards and good government,” said Zefferys, who arrived 25 years ago.

Zefferys, who is from Seattle, said he had learnt more about the world through living in Malaysia because many cultures were represented here.

“This makes Malaysia an exciting place to be,” he said.

He also said that food here was superior to anywhere else in the world.

Monem Salam, who is originally from Texas, said: “The biggest appeal is the attitude of the people who have made us feel very welcomed.”

Monem, 43, who is the president of investment firm Saturna Sdn Bhd, moved here five years ago.

The father of three children aged between 10 and 16 said the MM2H programme was gaining popularity.

“Many in the US are interested and have asked me about it,” he said. Japanese mother of three Emi Yamazaki, 48, has been calling Penang “home” for 14 years.

“I lived in various cities in the past including London, Hong Kong and Singapore,” she said, professing her fondness for Penang.

“It is nice and compact,” said Yamazaki, who had worked in the media industry.

 

Read the original post: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/01/25/malaysia-truly-a-second-home/

MINISTRY OF FINANCE (MOF) : NO GOODS & SERVICES TAX (GST) EXEMPTION FOR VEHICLE PURCHASE

MINISTRY OF FINANCE (MOF) : NO GOODS & SERVICES TAX (GST) EXEMPTION FOR VEHICLE PURCHASE

Finance Minister decides that there will be no exemption of GST for the purchase of vehicles by the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) participants effective 1 April 2015. However, application for duty / tax exemption submitted to MOF before 1 April 2015 will be considered for GST exemption for a period of three (3) months from the approval date. MOF will not entertain any request to extend the period of application or GST exemption to purchase vehicles under MM2H programme. Thank You.

Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) Centre MALAYSIA
Date: Apr 09, 2015

Please see attachment.

Malaysia woos Bangladesh medical tourists – The Rakyat Post

Healthcare

Wheelchair-airport-Bigstock

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7, 2015:
With the Malaysia My Second Home programme to entice foreign investments seeing rich Bangladesh nationals coming in tops as the most approved applicants, the Indian subcontinent’s nation is now being wooed for medical tourism next.
Malaysia is targeting a total of 20,000 medical tourists from Bangladesh this year, up 33% from last year, as it aims to become the medical tourism destination of choice for that country’s nationals, said Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), an agency of the health ministry.
“Around 300,000 Bangladeshis visit Malaysia a year for tourism purposes. So why not extend your trip a little and get your health checked up or go for treatment?” MHTC newly-appointed chief executive officer Sherene Azura Azli told Bangladesh newspaper The Daily Star.
“We have sufficient availability of international standard hospitals, medical personnel and high-quality facilities to provide treatments across different ranges of the cost spectrum.

“The cost of medical check-ups and treatments in Malaysia are 30-40% cheaper than in Thailand and will be a third of the treatment cost in Singapore, both of which are currently the two most preferred destinations for Bangladeshi patients.”
Azli noted that doctors here cannot charge beyond the limit set by the Malaysian regulators.
Referring to a recent report that ranked Malaysia as the best medical travel destination in the world, Azli said that Malaysia has the opportunity to brand and position itself as a provider of affordable quality healthcare.
MHTC projected that more than one million people across the world to visit Malaysia for medical tourism purpose this year.
To encourage such goals, Malaysia Airlines, the nation’s flag carrier is offering a 30% discount on airfare for Bangladeshi patients available only through GD Assist, a subsidiary of Green Delta Insurance Company that has been acting as MHTC’s local agent in promoting Malaysian medical tourism.
“The discount is not the only issue, the most important factor is that we want to provide the best support and assistance from the very first step,” said Malaysia Airlines general manager in Dhaka Wan Mohd Ebrahem.
In November last year, GD Assist launched an insurance scheme, GD Health, to offer medical and health services in Malaysia.
Policyholders can get healthcare and medical services at affordable costs in Malaysian hospitals that are linked with MHTC.
“We want to provide an integrated value-added service to our clients so that all Bangladeshi people can visit Malaysia with a package of medical tourism and not only with a package of holidays,” said GD Assist director Farzana Chowdhury.
Read more: http://www.therakyatpost.com/business/2015/04/07/malaysia-woos-bangladesh-medical-tourists/#ixzz3WcCOQmW6

IMPOSITION OF THE GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (GST) EFFECTIVE 1 APRIL, 2015

IMPOSITION OF THE GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (GST) EFFECTIVE 1 APRIL, 2015
MM2H Car Purchase
Currently, MM2H participant may purchase one new car made or assembled in Malaysia which is exempted from excise duty and sales tax OR import one car which belongs to him/her from country of citizenship or where he/she last domiciled, which is also exempted from import duty, excise duty and sales tax for bringing in it into Malaysia for his/her personal use.On 1st April, 2015, the Government of Malaysia will start to impose the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Malaysia. As of now, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia has not received an official notification from the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to give any tax exemption to MM2H participants when they:

a) Purchase a new car made or assembled in Malaysia; or
b) Import a car which belongs to the participant in his/her country of citizenship or where he/she last domiciled.

Therefore any car which is purchased in or imported into Malaysia on or after 1st April, 2015 is subject to GST unless it is given exemption by MOF.

Thank You. Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) Centre MALAYSIA

Date: December 24, 2014

韓裕光:第二家園受MH370影響‧中國申請者去年少30%

韓裕光:第二家園受MH370影響‧中國申請者去年少30%

(吉隆坡6日訊)馬來西亞中國銀行總經理韓裕光指出,過去數年馬來西亞第二家園計劃以中國申請者人數高居首位,自馬航MH370失蹤事件發生後帶來的衝擊,去年最後一季度透過該銀行申請第二家園計劃的中國客戶人數劇挫30%。

  • 許贊軍(右六)與劉耀聯(左四)主持馬來西亞第二家園醫療保險計劃推介典禮。左起為吳群愛、劉榮發、郭燕燕,左五為歐陽羱瑱。右起為楊沛璇、韓裕光、吳偉華、林國獅及李關超。(圖:星洲日報)

今年人數漸好轉他指出,雖然馬航MH370事件是在去年3月8日發生,但其效應稍後逐漸“延燒”,使得諮詢與申請第二家園計劃的中國申請者人數受影響,但該情況來到今年已逐漸好轉,中國申請人數已有回彈跡象。

韓裕光在“馬來西亞中國銀行第二家園計劃金融解決方案對話會”後受詢時表示,大馬的氣候、多元文化與環境備受中、日、韓與其餘東亞國家人士歡迎,而過去數年來參與馬來西亞第二家園計劃的申請者以中國人名列榜首,日本人居次。

“中國銀行與旅遊部自2012年攜手合作以來,每年約有1千人申請馬來西亞第二家園計劃,今年我們的目標是要爭取1千至1千500名申請者。”

他也相信,隨著大馬在2015年擔任東盟輪值主席國,加上馬中關係強穩,能進一步推動第二家園計劃發展。

許贊軍:中國銀行3分行
設第二家園服務專柜

另一方面,馬來西亞中國銀行副執行總裁許贊軍表示,目前馬來西亞中國銀行已分別在吉隆坡、檳城和新山開設第二家園業務專柜,提供的第二家園服務包括預開賬戶、跨境匯款、第二家園醫療保險方案等。

馬化保險定制4醫療配套另一方面,馬化保險首席營運員劉耀聯指出,該公司特別定制4種不同的醫療保險計劃以配合第二家園申請人的需求,申請人使用中國銀行提供的一站式解決方案保證將會以快速和高效率來處理醫療保險。

出席今日活動者包括馬來西亞第二家園代理人協會會長林國獅、馬化保險有限公司董事郭燕燕、營業發展總經理李關超、馬來西亞第二家園顧問中心Poloair Consultancy公司市場營銷經理楊沛璇、CASA公司第二家園市場經理吳偉華、溫馨家園有限公司總經理劉榮發、汎馬地產有限公司第二家園計劃與產業銷售與市場推廣總監吳群愛、极力(馬來西亞第二家園)有限公司董事長歐陽羱瑱。

(星洲日報)