Malaysia News

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

George Town, Malaysia, is not only one of Asia’s best options for retirement living, but also a top choice worldwide. Though the city has grown a great deal over the years, it has managed to retain its British colonial flavor. At the same time, it has developed to be hugely culturally diverse. Wandering around the historic downtown, it’s easy to imagine yourself in another era and even another place. There are neighborhoods reminiscent of China, India, an old Malay village and everywhere you find architecture and infrastructure harkening back to England’s colonial heyday.

Read more

To celebrate the Festival of light, Countless lamps are illuminating And I am wishing you long lasting joy Endless happiness, Good health and prosperity Wishing you a Happy Deepavali!

PETALING JAYA: Expatriates ranked Malaysia among the top 20 places for affordable high quality accommodation and cost of living.

In the seventh Expat Explorer survey conducted by YouGov involving over 9,300 expatriates, Malaysia was placed 19th for quality of life, financial well-being and the ease of raising a family abroad with Switzerland, China and Singapore in the top three.

The respondents in Malaysia said accommodation was easy to find (63%), of higher quality (54%) compared to their home country and relatively inexpensive.

Utilities is another area which expats are saving with 37% now spending less on these bills.

Read more

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is set to be transformed into a rich foreigners’ playground of resort and spa with other leisure properties when the Second Sabah Tourism Master Plan is launched by year end to clarify and define the coastal potential for tourism particularly on the West Coast.

Read more

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (pic) is expected to propose the waiving of visa charges for Chinese tourists to attract more tourists from China to visit Malaysia next year in conjunction with the Malaysia Year of Festival 2015 (MyFest 2015).

Read more