Malaysia, a country of outstanding beauty, cordial locals and some of the most stunning architecture. Increasing numbers of people are choosing to up sticks and move to Malaysia from the UK each and every year, and with good reason. With perfect weather, beautiful beaches, low cost of living and the perfect work-life balance, Malaysia is proving popular for expat relocations, digital nomads and people looking to escape to a tropical paradise.
But if you are still on the fence, here are just 21 reasons why we think you should be moving to Malaysia…
1. There is a steady and flourishing economy in Malaysia
Malaysia has the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia – the 35th largest in the world (2021) – that is steadily but continually flourishing each and every year. There is a significantly higher rate of labour productivity in the country compared with Malaysia’s neighbours and its residents are able to live a life of luxury and a more affluent lifestyle, due to the country’s low cost of housing, food, fuel, transport and the likes.
2. Fantastic employment prospects
There are some promising opportunities available for highly-skilled international workers in Malaysia, with the chance of employment been significantly higher for experienced and educated individuals.
The country has a ‘Critical Occupations List,’ identifying occupations that are sought-after or hard to fill, so if you are experienced in these areas, your chances of securing that rewarding post as an international worker will increase tenfold.
Some of the fields on the list include; Construction, Manufacturing, Education, Aerospace, Oil, Gas and Energy, Petrochemicals and Transportation to name but a few.
3. Always fancied Fridays off work?
Malaysia is a Muslim country and so Friday is a ‘Holy Day’ for Malays. The working week in Malaysia in Sunday to Thursday, which means that Friday and Saturday, will become your new ‘weekend.’
However, in some northern states, a select lucky few will enjoy the three-day weekend that they have always dreamed of since it is common to have a Sunday to Wednesday working week in the north of Malaysia. .. YES PLEASE!
4. The Malays are some of the friendliest people you will meet!
The Malaysian people exude a sense of kindness and warmth from the second you land in their beautiful country. They are hospitable and friendly by nature with a willingness to go out of their way to help others, including us foreigners… who wouldn’t want to live and work amongst upbeat and happy folk every day?
5. You will learn about cultures you never imagined
Malaysia is rich with a profusion of cultures, races and religions from all stretches of the globe. The majority of the Malaysian makeup is formed of Malays, of course, Chinese, Indians and then there are Portuguese, Indigenous, fellow western expats, the list is endless.
The best way to learn about the world and other cultures is to learn about it first-hand and coming into contact with folk from ample cultures and hearing their stories will leave you rich in knowledge that you would never expected.
6. The cost of living is a fraction of the UK
Housing aside, you will notice yourself saving pennies in, well, all aspects of life in Malaysia! Research carried out by Numbeo, has found that consumer prices in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, are on average 48.55% lower than in England’s capital, London.
London is renowned for its ridiculously overpriced way of life, so as a fair comparison, we carried out a price comparison with an averagely priced English city, Manchester, and found that Kuala Lumpur was still 40.90% cheaper!
That seems appealing to us…
7. Feast your eyes on some stunning scenes
Malaysia has bragging rights to some of the most remarkable landscapes in the world, yet it is often wrongly overlooked for breath-taking views in Southeast Asia. There are beaches and rainforests, mountains and islands, plantations and countryside, modern, traditional and everything in between.
If astounding scenery is what you are looking for, some of our favourites include Sungai Palas Tea Plantation situated in the Cameron Highlands, Gunung Mulu – a UNESCO heritage site – located in Borneo and Langkawi Island, 30km off mainland Malaysia.
8. You can witness the beauty of wildlife in its natural habitat
Peninsular Malaysia boasts some of the most outstanding jungles and rainforests that you will lay eyes on. Gunung Kinabalu, Taman Negara Pahang, and Banjaran Titiwangsa are just some of the jungles in the Malaysia Peninsular with views that you wouldn’t believe. However, the best thing about the jungles is the free-roaming wildlife that tends to roam zoos here in the UK.
Approximately 20% of the world’s animals are here in Malaysia and Malayan tigers, Asian elephants, Sumatran rhinoceros, Malayan flying lemur and Bornean orangutan are just a minute selection of the animals you will find meandering Malaysia’s jungles.
There is nothing quite as beautiful as seeing wildlife in its home where it belongs.
9. Prepare your palette for some mouth-watering meals
Malaysia has blessed Asia with some of its tastiest dishes, such as Sang Har Noodles, a prawn and noodle dish, Satay, we all know satay, Assam Laksa and Nasi Lemak. Nasi Lemak is the national dish of Malaysia, but it is a fragrant rice dish, steam cooked with pandan leaf and coconut milk that is enjoyed all over Southeast Asia.
10. …Which brings us on to, street food
Street food isn’t ‘just that’ in Malaysia, it has become a key component of their culture. The sheer quantity of vendors, cuisines and dishes can be quite overwhelming, but you will have all the time in the world to eat your way through the menus when you move to Malaysia. You can try everything from rice dishes and noodle dishes, salads and breads, fruit dishes, sweet deserts, soups and everything in-between.
11. Say hello to summer! (all year-round)
Living in England we don’t really experience a summer… or a spring, or autumn for that matter. All seasons seem to blend into one ginormous rainy year. In Malaysia, there is a similar problem of lack of distinction between the seasons, but that’s because it is hot, hot, hot all year long.
Malaysia sits close to the equator and meaning you will be soaking up the sun from January through December. September to January has an average temperature of 27°C and February to August has an average temperature of 28°C… you can leave your umbrella at home for this one.
12. Explore the East with ease
England can seem a million miles away from the East of the world at times, with high flight prices and a 24-hour journey seeming too much of an inconvenience for a two week holiday. Malaysia’s location in the world enables you to explore the once-too-far-away countries and cities that you always wanted to explore, comfortably.
You can drive from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore in less than four hours, fly to Phuket for less than £80 and just over an hour and to Australia’s Gold Coast for around £300, bringing a fresh and exciting approach to your weekends and annual holidays!
13. You can live the outdoor life
Thanks to the balmy climate of Malaysia, you can enjoy an outdoor life all year-round that might be difficult when living in the UK, particularly during those
winter months. There is also plenty of exploring outdoors to be done when living in Malaysia, hiking in the Cameron Highlands, venturing through Taman Negara
National Park, scaling Mount Kinabalu on the Via Ferrata and heading down to one of the world’s longest cave networks at Gunung Mulu National Park, to name but a few.
14. Thrill seeking
If a more specific activity is what takes your fancy, the country is home to some fantastic theme parks and water parks for the thrill seekers out there. Or if you are looking for something more relaxed, the country has a number of zoos, museums and aquariums – you will never need to have a boring weekend!
15. Celebrate with locals at one of the many Malaysian festivals
Very much unlike the UK, Malaysia embraces a nationwide party and a number of national festivals take place every year. Some of the biggest and most exciting annual festivals include Tadau Kaamatan (Harvest Festival), Wesak Day, Hari Merdeka and the most significant of all, Chinese New Year.
16. Malaysia has some of the most awe-inspiring architecture
Malaysia most famous piece of architecture, and possibly one of the most famous structures in the world, is the Petronas Towers that sit in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Don’t be fooled, this isn’t where the inspiring constructions end. In addition to Islam-inspired architecture, there are buildings of Mughal style such as Jamek Mosque and Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. There are many Tudorbethan and Victorian buildings constructed by the British such as Central Market and St. Mary’s Cathedral. A number of modern Malay architecture is found in the country such as The National Library, Menara Telekom, Istana Budaya and many, many more.
17. You can participate in traditional Malay sports
Do you miss flying kites when you were a child? If so, then you might want to get involved with the traditional Malay sport, Wau. Wau is a traditional sport of kite-flying that sees participants fly extravagant and flamboyant kites at heights of nearly 500 metres. The kites have a bamboo attachment that makes the kite sound like a hummingbird when it is in flight.
Sepak takraw is another traditional sport in which players have to keep a rattan ball in the air… without using their hands. Others that might not be so unfamiliar include dragon dancing and dragon boat racing that has now become something of worldwide interest.
18. Experience some of the best healthcare in the world… (hopefully this isn’t needed)
Accessible health care in Malaysia is far advanced due to high interest, research and investment from the Malaysian government. The system has a two-tiers, public universal healthcare and private healthcare, and although public universal healthcare is only available to Malaysian nationals, you will be able to obtain medical insurance that covers the treatment of common illness and rare ailments in Malaysia’s excellent private healthcare institutions, most of which are on par with healthcare in the USA and Western Europe.
19. Cheaper housing? Sign us up!
The cost of buying a home, and renting, in the UK is becoming one of the biggest turn-offs for many UK residents looking to take their first steps on the property ladder or looking to purchase a new home. The average property price in the UK is now £271,000 according to ONS (July 2021) but in stark contrast to this, the average Malaysian home costs RM 500,000 (£93,000) but in the more rural areas, it is possible to find a home for RM 90,000 (£17,000). Even in Kuala Lumpur which has Malaysia’s most expensive housing, the average price was MYR778,143 (US$185,648) during 2020.
Moving to Malaysia is also not as expensive as you might think. You can find out more about shipping your belongings to Malaysia here.
21. There are many first-rate International Schools, Colleges and Universities
If you are moving to Malaysia with children, don’t fear that your child will miss out on outstanding schooling and education. The country has the opportunity to attend public or private schools, ranging from preschool, through primary school, secondary school all the way to post-secondary education which includes colleges and universities.
22. Feel safe in your new home country
Southeast Asia often gets a bad reputation when it comes to safety, but rest assured, you don’t need to feel on tenterhooks in Malaysia if you are moving as a family or by yourself. The country is becoming more and more stable as the years pass, politically, socially and economically, which is reflected in the country’s safety. The Global Peace Index ranked Malaysia in 30th out of 163 countries, compared with the United Kingdom at 41st!
If you are moving to Malaysia from the UK and are looking for a helping hand, PSS are the international shipping company you need! We have countless years of experience in helping our customers relocate from the UK to Malaysia and we would love to help you. Check our guide on removals to Malaysia or get a quote for shipping boxes or baggage. For information on our shipping to Malaysia services, contact us today on 0800 988 3711.
