The Malaysian people are warm and friendly and unlike some countries welcome foreigners who choose to live here and are happy to mix with them socially. There is no need to set yourself up in an expatriate enclave because wherever you live you are sure to find no problems settling in. The fact that a large number of people speak English makes it especially attractive to the many people who are either native English speakers or speak enough English to communicate.

Malaysia's weather is generally hot and sunny all year round, with temperatures wavering between 32 degrees during the day and 23 degrees at night. Humidity is high at 80 percent. The temperature in the highlands is slightly lower.

The onset of the monsoon season from May to September brings with it rain to the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The east coast of the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak experience their monsoon season between November and February. The inter-monsoon periods experience the heaviest rainfalls. Otherwise, light showers come and go, helping to relieve the heat from the sun. Most expatriates say how much they like the warm weather in Malaysia. Certainly it can get hot during the day but it is rarely the extreme heat found in some countries, and since most homes, cars and shopping areas are air-conditioned it is easy to cool down.

Malaysia is a low cost country to live in and if you are on a pension from a developed country you will find that it offers a much better standard of living here than in your own country. Since remittances from abroad are not taxed it makes living in Malaysia even more attractive, if your funds are not taxed at source. Restaurant prices are generally low so this can offset the higher cost of alcoholic beverages and many places offer extended happy hours if you look out for them. People settling in Malaysia can bring in one car free of import duty, sales tax and excise duty or buy a new one tax free. Prices for luxury houses and apartments are low and property taxes negligible.

The country has a good infrastructure with a world class airport, very modern capital city and a well developed and maintained road network. Malaysia has a strong commitment to become a leading IT and multimedia hub for the region and the government continuously invests in improvements to the country’s infrastructure.

Malaysia has three major types of local cuisine which most foreigners soon come to enjoy. Malay, Chinese and Indian restaurants can be found all over the country reflecting the three largest races in Malaysia and between the three cuisines there is a magnificent choice of dishes. If you eat in the open air stalls or in the non air conditioned restaurants you will be amazed at the low cost of the food. If you prefer western dishes there has been a proliferation of restaurants opening in the major cities offering many different western cuisines as well as other Asian cuisines. Food from all over the world can also be found in the excellent restaurants in the country’s numerous four and five star hotels.

Malaysia also has the advantage of being one of the lowest populated countries in Asia. This means plenty of unspoiled countryside where you can explore the jungle, hill stations and tropical islands or relax on the many beaches. There is a wealth of flora and fauna as well as wild life. The major roads are excellent and it is easy to drive around the country once you get used to some of the local driving styles. There are also a large number of excellent hotels which have some of the lowest rates in Asia making domestic travel a pleasure and remarkably good value.

Malaysia hosts a number of international sports events including Formula 1, motorbike, cycling, power boat racing and golf, even international tower runs!. Malaysians are also outstanding hockey, badminton and squash players and enthusiastic football fans. For active sports enthusiasts there are many golf courses, tennis and squash courts and groups playing cricket and rugby. You will also find plenty of golf and country clubs to choose from all over Malaysia. There are no duties on boats so lovers of sailing will find that it not only less expensive but there are also many attractive places to visit. For divers there are many good spots including some rated the best in the world off the coast of Sabah, such as Sipadan and Layang Layang islands.

If you choose to stay closer to home there is plenty to do from visiting the many food and beverage outlets to watching the latest releases at the many modern movie theatres. Most foreign newspapers and magazines can be found here and high speed internet connections are available around the country. There are plenty of local festivals to watch and a number of theatre groups have been set up. The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, based in KL, is made up of international players and performs regularly. International artists from singers to dancers and even theatre groups visit regularly. If you prefer staying at home then satellite TV offers many channels of international entertainment.

The country offers good telecommunications both internally and internationally. Making international calls is very easy, there is a good selection of mobile phone providers and high speed internet connections are available in most large cities and are being spread out around the country. The crime rate in Malaysia is generally lower than in most western countries. Health services are efficient and first class medical facilities are available in all the major cities with well equipped hospitals and clinics run by highly qualified staff. Medical costs are much lower than many other countries. Malaysia offers an excellent mix of Asian cultures but for those who wish to discover the rest of Asia there are direct non-stop flights to every capital city in Asia. It is an easy and relatively short flight to many neighbouring countries and both Singapore and Thailand can be reached by road. Although the distances to Europe, New Zealand and Australia are quite long, there are non stop flights to most major cities. You can also reach the west and east coast of The United States on direct flights.

The same reasons which encourage people to come and live in Malaysia will also persuade friends and relatives to come and visit. For friends who might not be keen to travel you have the added benefit that Malaysia offers some of the cheapest fares to all corners of the globe. For those who want to purchase a property it is possible to obtain a loan locally. If you only plan to spend part of the year here then some companies can arrange short term rentals while you are away and take care of your home. People with family and friends in Australia are only a short 'hop' away.