Tuesday 3 September 2013

MM2H, Malaysia My 2nd Home, Why You Should Choose Malaysia



MM2H, MALAYSIA MY 2ND HOMEREASONS ON WHY ONE SHOULD CHOOSE MALAYSIA FOR RETIREMENT

Malaysia Government Recognition | Multi Races & Multi Culture | Food Haven | Low Standard of Living | The People, The Varieties of Destination | 10 Year Visa, Free exit & re-entry

We are your total solution for your MM2H application and Property buying.
We at BiGTree Properties (MM2H) Sdn Bhd located in Kuala Lumpur
center, could be reach easily either by physical or by telecommunication.
Try us out. we share the right information & delivery with righteousness.


For more information ;
SMS or What's App us at : +6 019 662 2929
Email to this address : klfong.bigtreemalaysia@gmail.com

Government Support
This programme is initiated, organised and launched by the malaysian Government and is thus one that the Government will continuously seek to improve, to ensure its success.




Cultural & Language
The Malay language (Bahasa Melayu) is the national language of 
the country; English is the second language but other languages 
can be freely used and practised. Similarly the Malay culture is 
dominant in the country because the Malays are the dominant race 
in Malaysia and in the region. But other cultures can be practiced 
very freely and there is a free intermingling of different cultures.


Recreation & Entertainment
The country has everything for the family,-theme parks, jungle trails,
sports, water sports and one of the highest numbers of golf courses.


Food & Fruits
The Malaysian BBQ Stick call Sate

The famous mixture of fried items - Pasembur from Penang 
International cuisine is available here at very reasonable cost. With so many races and cultures living together in harmony, it is understandable that each race has picked up the best of each other’s food and made Malaysia into Asia’s Food Paradise.



Health & Wellness
Malaysia is also a place for quality education, from nursery to university. Fees are reasonable. There are international schools of repute in all major towns with English and other foreign languages as the media instruction. There are also private colleges and universities which offer twinning programmes with other
internationally-recognised universities and colleges. The country is fast becoming an educational centre of excellence for the region.



Residences 

There are quality residences – terrace and semidetached houses bungalows, apartments and condominiums throughout the country. Some of the finest residences are available in tourism zones – on beaches, near jungles and near theme parks, recreational places and city centres.

Malaysia My 2nd Home, South East Asia


SOUTH EAST ASIA AS A 2ND HOME
MALAYSIA MY 2ND HOME 
MM2H
SOUTH EAST ASIA COMPARISON

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A 2ND OPTION HOME OTHER THAN YOUR OWN COUNTRY, WITH WHATEVER REASONS, BE IT RETIREMENT, ALL YEAR ROUND WEATHER STABILIZATION, LOWER LIVING COST, SEE BELOW SOME IDEA COMPARISONS 


Southeast Asia can be a great choice for a long term living. Life here can be remarkably affordable - cheaper than anywhere else on earth. In addition, the tropical climate and thousands of miles of coastline present unlimited opportunity for beach bums. Cool mountain retreats, caves, waterfalls and hot springs reward intrepid explorers. English is widely understood and spoken throughout the region, the culture is exotic and the people are delightfully welcoming. All things considered, no question, Southeast Asia can be a great place to live. The question is, can you, as a foreigner, live here ... legally?
Indeed. Increasingly, you have many appealing options for taking advantage of the World's most affordable retirement options. 
Malaysia My 2nd Home - MM2H
South East Asia Map
Malaysia. If you'd like to live permanently in Malaysia, you can apply for the "Malaysia My Second Home" (MM2H) program, which grants visas that are valid for up to 10 years, once the financial criteria are met. MM2H visas can be easily renewed. Applicants of any age are invited to apply for the MM2H visa. Unfortunately, many people can't meet the financial requirements, which include making a fixed deposit into a Malaysian bank of at least 150,000 Malaysian ringgits (about $47,500) or being able to prove a pension of 10,000 ringgits ($3,160) per month.  


ThailandFor Thailand, the financial requirements are less. Applicants need to deposit 800,000 Thai baht (about $25,700) in a Thai bank, show an income of 800,000 baht or a combination of the two. However, it is extremely difficult to be granted permanent residency in Thailand. The retirement visa must be renewed every year. And those who have the visa are required to check in with immigration authorities every 90 days. If that's not enough, you also need to be at least 50 years old to qualify for a retirement visa in Thailand.

Singapore. Singapore offers permanent residency to those who can meet the income requirements, but this is not practical if you're on a fixed income or have limited assets. To retire in Singapore, you need to own property that is valued at $400,000 or more, in addition to having a pension of at least $5,500 a month or a combination of income and savings of $317,000 or more. No surprise that the cost of living is also the highest in the region.

Philippines. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, financial requirements are low, benefits are generous and a stay of many years is practically guaranteed. More than 27,000 foreigners have retired to the Philippines under the Special Resident Retiree Visa, or SRRV.
Retirees in the Philippines are permitted to hold employment, own a business, attend school, buy a condominium or house (but not the land), receive mortgage financing and enjoy most of the same benefits offered to any citizen of the country. The duty-free importation of household belongings valued up to $7,000 is another benefit of retiring to this country. The SRRV visa never expires: Once you have it, it's a simple matter of reporting to immigration once a year and paying $10 to get your ID card renewed.
There are four types of SRRV visas. The most basic is the "SRRV Smile," which allows you to remain in the Philippines as long as you wish, provided you deposit $20,000 in a Philippine bank and keep it there for the duration of your stay. This visa is available to anyone who is 35 or older. The deposit is fixed and may not be converted into an investment for a long-term lease or condominium purchase.
With the "SRRV Classic," you can use your funds to purchase a condo or a long-term property lease. Applicants age 35 to 49 must deposit $50,000 in a Philippine bank or buy a ready-to-occupy condo costing $50,000 or more. Applicants age 50 or older need to invest only $10,000 if they have an individual pension of at least $800 per month. (A couple would need a combined pension income of at least $1,000 per month.) Applicants who are at least 50 years old but cannot meet the pension requirements can still qualify for the "SRRV Classic" visa by maintaining a deposit of at least $20,000 in a local bank.
The "SRRV Human Touch" offers the benefits of permanent Philippine residency to any retiree with a pre-existing, non-contagious medical condition who is in need of ongoing medical care or services. The minimum investment amount is just $10,000 for any applicant age 35 or older, and the conditions are the same as for those in the "SRRV Smile" program. "SRRV Human Touch" applicants must be able to show a pension of at least $1,500 per month and give proof of health insurance. This makes residency in the Philippines a great option for people with disabilities or chronic medical conditions.
The "SRRV Courtesy" visa is for individuals age 50 or older who are either former citizens of the Philippines or ambassadors or diplomats who have served in the Philippines. The terms and conditions for the courtesy visa are the same as for the "SRRV Classic" program.
Retirees who have any of the four SRRV visas are allowed to remain in the Philippines for as long as they want without needing to re-qualify or leave the country for any reason. If you do want to leave the country, though, you can come and go as you wish.
Your overseas pension or Social Security is exempt from Philippine taxes, and any interest earned on bank deposits may be withdrawn at any time. If you ever decide to relinquish your Philippine residency status, your entire qualifying deposit is returned to you.
SRRV applicants must pay a one-time administration fee of $1,400. The application process is relatively simple and can be completed online. There is no need to hire an agent for assistance.
Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group. With more than 28 years experience covering this beat, Kathleen reports daily on current opportunities for living, retiring and investing overseas in her free e-letter. Her newest book, How To Buy Real Estate Overseas, published by Wiley & Sons, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.


Saturday 31 August 2013

MM2H for Malaysian, Silver Hair Malaysian Housing Information News


MALAYSIA MY 1ST HOME, MALAYSIAN
MALAYSIA MY 2ND HOME, NON MALAYSIA

Malaysia My 2nd Home related Information | Silver Hair Program Malaysia | Malaysia Affordable Medical | Malaysia Multi Racial Living Harmony | 

Contact us :
SMS or What's App us at : +6 019 662 2929
Email your Question : klfong.bigtreemalaysia@gmail.com 



SUNSET BLISS: Despite various challenges such as the lack of expertise, laws and high cost associated with retirement villages, a silver lining appears in the horizon as a greying Malaysian population ups the demand Seronok does not advertise and is recommended via word of mouth. The retirement village, which prides itself as being the first in the country with such a concept, currently has about 20 – 30 people in the waiting list.


Demand on uptrend
Judging from the waiting list, there is clearly a demand for such housing. However, developers are not jumping onto the bandwagon in a hurry despite PEMANDU (Performance Management & Delivery Unit) statistics showing that 15 per cent of the population is projected to be over 60 years old by 2030.



Imported expertise
“Apart from location, affordability and safety, the additional factors that would make any retirement village a success are soft facilities that cater to the psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of a senior. These have to be reflected in the design and services of the retirement village,” says Richard Lim, Director of ZenCare Lifestyles Australia. Lim has been involved in senior housing in Australia since 1998 and was the Founding Director of Australia’s first Asian-specific Aging in Place in Brisbane, Australia.


GreenAcres, Australian model
One of Lim’s clients is Total Investment Group based in Ipoh, Perak. Their retirement village, GreenAcres, is reputedly the first in Malaysia to incorporate the Australian model of a retirement village. The project, to be located on 10 acres of land in Bandar Meru Raya in Ipoh comprises a minimum of 120 units of single-storey villas of between 650 -1,000 sq ft built-up.


Australian experience
The Australian model certainly has its advantages and experts such as Lim and Tectura Architects from Australia have been engaged to advise on its implementation. According to research done by Tectura Architects for PEMANDU, aged care services in Australia are subsidised by the Australian government from general tax revenue with the state governments and care recipients contributing various portions of the total costs.

For the long-term, PEMANDU is looking into the Aged Care Industry and developing possible Entry Point Projects (EPPs) that could help spur the growth of the industry and transform it from a neglected one to one that is recognised as part of the healthcare industry. In September last year, PEMANDU’s Healthcare NKEA ran a Seniors Living Lab divided into three work streams namely, Retirement 


In a two-acre piece of land in Cheras, about 30 single-storey houses cater to a special class of residents. These are elderly but independent people who despite their age, still value their independence in living in separate housing. Each of these 650-sq ft houses has a bedroom, kitchen and living/dining area allowing a great deal of freedom, privacy and space as compared to rooms in an elderly care home.
Established in 1988, Sri Seronok Retirement Village, was conceived by former Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Soter Fernandez, as a retirement village for elderly single persons and couples to live in. The village offers comfortable and self-contained units in a pleasant and safe environment.
“Soter generously gave us some land in Cheras adjacent to our Hospice Centre to build a place where elderly people with no homes could live,” recalls Datuk Dr Peter Mooney, Director of Sri Seronok Retirement Resort, adding that his godson, Christopher, son of the late Tan Sri Alex Lee, did the detailed architectural work while the church provided financial assistance.   
The chalets are grouped around interior lawns with flowering shrubs and trees with a covered walkway linking them. There is a common room for socialising and for the lunches that are organised for special events. On hand are a full-time gardener, a handyman and a resident warden who looks after the village.
The units are rented to the residents and the rent pays for the upkeep of the village while the balance is used to repay the Archbishop for the original cost of construction. According to Mooney, the village only accepts residents who are able to live independently. “Residents are free to move around and go out to the shops and restaurants nearby,” the director adds.
Elderly folks require housing that ideally has nursing care facilities to cater for their declining physical and mental agility and increased old age-related disabilities such as dementia, memory loss, diabetes, etc.  Most families in Malaysia live with their elderly parents with very few sending them to old folks homes. This is due to cultural norms which place emphasis on caring for their elderly. Hence, demand for such housing has yet to reach a critical point unlike places like Singapore which suffers from a shortage of accommodation space.


Singapore’s HDB (Housing Development Board) flats can hardly accommodate more than four and easily become cramped if parents are taken in. This has given rise to reported cases of “parents dumping” where elderly Singaporeans especially those with memory or mental problems are “abandoned” in neighbouring Johor especially in Johor Bahru.
In Malaysia, thankfully the situation has not reached that level yet but looking at the figures, there is certainly a gap in such housing. As baby boomers reach their 60s, the need for such accommodation will become more pronounced. Developers have cited lack of expertise, unfamiliarity and high costs to build such housing which would require nursing care facilities, among others. Furthermore, there is a lack of legislation dealing with this type of housing as they are neither hospitals nor old folks homes.  
Clearly, Australia, Europe and the US are far advanced in this industry and we should take a leaf out from their books.  
Retirement villages can be in the form of multigenerational homes (to cater for family members living with them), high density residences or even retirement resorts. The integration of senior friendly designs and support services within a retirement village allows them to maintain their previous lifestyle in their own homes even with increasing disability.
In addition, many of such retirement communities in Australia and the US provide meal preparation, housekeeping, assistance in the usage of equipment like the telephone, routine medical check-up and follow-ups, medication reminders, nutrition screening and therapy, transportation to nearby locations and in some places even routine shopping trips. Talks and wellness programmes are also often organised to inform the residents of old age-related afflictions.
He provides assistance to developers with the start-up, concept, planning of the legal structure and taxation, as well as marketing and management of the village. For Lim, the most crucial component for a successful retirement village is the management of the village itself.
“With the right management structure, success can be attained and this would attract many to joint venture with the retirement villages,” he says. The consultant reveals that many Malaysian developers like the concept of a retirement village and agree that there is a market for these in Malaysia. “But they are hesitant to start due to several reasons while some are waiting to see whether it would really take off.
Admittedly, a number have failed and have been converted into normal residential projects.”
“We are currently waiting for approval for the building plans and are still fine-tuning the details for the individuals units and the clubhouse,” says John Chong, Executive Director of Total Investment Group.
Lim adds that since GreenAcres was mooted, “it has been 3 ½ years of challenging journey to bring it to this stage as Malaysia still lacks the professional expertise in this area. Among the hurdles were the design where we had to engage Australian architects to work alongside the local architect to create the right atmosphere for the seniors. We seek the ‘wow’ factor that would attract seniors to reside here.”
Says Chong Heng Kiong, co-founder of Total Investment Group and mother to John, “We’ve seen retirement villages overseas many years ago and thought that it was a good solution to address the lifestyle needs of the retirees here in Malaysia. There is certainly a gap in the marketplace, so we decided it was the right time to go ahead with developing a proper retirement village for Malaysians so that the needs of the retirees are catered for.”
GreenAcres is Mrs Chong’s pet project and is geared towards the upper middle income group with tentative prices starting from RM300,000 onwards. The gated and guarded community is due to launch end of this year or beginning of 2014.
“We needed foreign expertise to ensure the units are well catered for the elderly and would be equipped with some elderly-friendly features like slightly larger doorways for wheelchair usage, ramps for wheelchair, and units fitted with alarm buttons  should the residents need any assistance,” John says, noting that GreenAcres is for the mobile and independent elderly people.
In the pipeline are plans to start a private medical centre nearby the village soon. For now, there is the MMC Medical centre and Pantai Medical Centre about 10 mins drive away. The developer will also get a doctor to visit the clubhouse regularly for the residents to consult on minor ailments and to seek medical advice.
The clubhouse will house dining facilities, an in-house cinema, a wellness room, a library, and a computer and games room. The developer is also working with a local hairdresser to visit the clubhouse.
Laundry and housekeeping services are also provided on a pay as you go basis while a village bus would be planned with a dedicated route to the nearest malls, hypermarket and other public amenities.
Australia has several successful retirement villages, for example, Jacaranda Village by Tectura Architects. This is a residential care facility located in Red Cliffs, Victoria providing 75 beds. The model of care is based on the Eden Alternative philosophy (See Table 1) which adopts a person-centred approach to care and, in particular, aims to empower its residents in making choices in their daily life, effectively preventing feelings of boredom and loneliness.

“Silver market”
“The impending demographic shift will exacerbate current challenges such as capacity and access to healthcare, funding of long-term care and the provision of adequate facilities for the retired,” says Dr Chua Hong Teck, Director of NKEA Healthcare, PEMANDU.
“However, these challenges are simultaneously developing a growing “silver market” presenting vast business opportunities.”
Investing in retirement villages is definitely on the radar of a number of developers in ASEAN, including Malaysia. A consultant from Frost & Sullivan’s Global Healthcare Practice has reportedly said potential investors could be Khazanah and Indonesia’s Lippo group, which have the resources to enter the Asian healthcare market.
The Malaysian government is also working on the latest laws to ensure the continuous care and well-being of the elderly in Malaysia. PEMANDU is engaging officers from the various ministries and governmental departments including the Ministry of Health, Welfare Department, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA), Department of Standards, Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government, Town and Country Planning Department, major real estate developers, Malaysia Property Incorporated, Real Estate And Housing Developers‘ Association (REHDA), banks and insurance companies with a view towards improving the situation.
Let’s hope more retirement villages are built as more in Malaysia reach their golden years.

Article clip from ;
http://www.nst.com.my/red/whither-retirement-villages-in-malaysia-1.326661