Hello, my partner Sean and I are in Penang till 24th sept looking at our first steps towards working and eventually retiring here. Sean is 48 and I am 54 years old.
We're currently renting a house on Penang mainland till Tuesday 4th then move to a condominium in Georgetown for a week. After that to a house in a fishing village in Bayan Lepas till we go back to the UK.
Whilst we're here we want to try different areas and housing plus glean as much information as possible about life, visas, property and Work etc. We know the restrictions for the MM2H visa but as Sean will need to work initially we need to know the right visa and what we need to be able to apply.
Our plan is to move either, if Sean gets a decent job here or in two to three years. He is an electrical engineer with over 30years experience and also project manages and has his own business since 2003.
If anyone can help, advise or meet us to have a chat we'd be grateful.
Hope to chat with someone soon
Jenny and Sean
Meet up in Penang
The only way to get a work permit is to be offered a job (the employer makes the application) start a company, or join the tech entrepreneur programme https://www.mtep.my/
Finding work in Penang is extremely difficult unless a person has skills not available among the local workforce. In other words Malaysia practises protectionism in the employment market.
The main professional areas in which jobs are available are software engineering and teaching. Nothing much else is available unless seconded by a foreign employer to a Malaysian branch office.
Best scenario is to develop an income stream in home/current country and then apply for MM2H. The only restriction on working under MM2H is the income has to be earned offshore i.e. no employment in a Malaysian registered company.
Most of the connections in Penang/Malaysia are found by joining the various Facebook groups such as Expats in Penang, Penang Expat Women, Penang Island Community.
You already posted your request elsewhere so you know about the two coffee mornings which are actually nothing to do with Internations so anyone can attend (i.e. no Albatross membership required and gratis).
Apart from that, impromptu events crop up regularly and so its good to follow FB groups closely. However the coffee mornings are probably the best options with guaranteed attendance of quite a few willing souls. Unfortunately most expat events are in George Town and the northern suburbs because that is where the majority live.
There is a new coffee/tea and cake meet up this week. https://www.facebook.com/events/551442221961432/
Thank you gravitas, this is very useful information.
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