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| Malaysia |
Making retirement plans soon and thinking of living
overseas? Well, consider Malaysia as an exotic but highly affordable option.
Malaysia has been recognised by InternationalLiving.com’s newly-released Annual
Global Retirement Index 2013 as among the top ten places to retire to in the
world. Coming in at number three after Ecuador and Panama, Malaysia is the only
Asian nation that made it into the top ten list besides Thailand (at number
nine).
Minister of Tourism Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen said, “I am
very proud that the world is recognising our country as an ideal place for
retirement. However, there is still room for improvement to make Malaysia an
even more comfortable place for retirees.”
One of the Ministry of Tourism’s efforts to promote
Malaysia as a long-stay destination especially for retirees is its Malaysia My
Second Home programme which has over 20,000 participants since 2002 to October
2012.
International Living is an online and print magazine that
focuses on living in foreign destinations. In its yearly compilation of the
world’s top retirement havens, it highlights several retirement destinations in
the world, considering them across eight crucial categories: real estate,
special retirement benefits, cost of living, ease of integration, entertainment
and amenities, health care, retirement infrastructure and climate. It also gets
feedback from expats living there for real-life details.
Malaysia scored full marks for entertainment and
amenities, and secured high points for cost of living, ease of integration and
healthcare facilities. An American couple interviewed said that their living
costs in Malaysia were now a third to a quarter of what they were in the United
States. For USD1,700 a month, another couple managed to rent a sea-view
apartment with shared pool and gym, eat out five nights a week, and keep a
small sailboat.
Malaysia was also noted for being an easy place to make
friends and integrate as English is the unofficial first language. Many
expatriates live in Kuala Lumpur and Penang and there are numerous
organizations that provide assistance in getting settled and integrated.
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| Malaysia |
Other attractive points about Malaysia, which was ranked
9th most-visited by United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) for three
years in a row since 2009, were its year-round tropical weather and pristine
beaches, islands and jungles. The report also stated that Malaysia offers some
of the region’s most affordable and best street food, great restaurants, bars,
shopping malls and movie theaters.
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