Malaysia has an exceptionally low cost of living and a tax regime that is most welcoming to foreigners. Everyone should be tax resident somewhere and where better than a tax friendly country? Put simply, for a foreigner no tax is charged on any income derived outside of Malaysia.

Interest on any number of fixed deposits of RM100,000 (£14,300) or less, held in a Malaysian registered bank is also tax free. The current rate for a fixed deposit of 12 months is 3.7 per cent, and in certain banks the interest can be paid monthly. There is no inheritance tax and no capital gains tax on assets other than property.

 Food
Malaysian cuisine is exotic with an exciting range of flavours and culinary styles offering the uninitiated an endless gastronomic adventure. It comprises three main groups - Malay, Chinese and Indian with each having its own distinct style of cooking. There are also cuisines that have evolved from the meeting of cultures notably those of the Nonya and Indian Muslim communities.

For the visitor who is interested in dining out, Kuala Lumpur will prove to be a unique experience both in terms of the array of culinary delights as well as in the wide choice of settings. You can dine out at posh hotel restaurants, elegant chain restaurants, chic sidewalk cafes, delicatessens or eat out at the many hawker stalls till the wee hours of the morning. The are many fast food chains such as A&W, McDonalds, KFC and other western and eastern eateries and restaurants.

Malay Food
Malay cuisine is rich and spicy arising from the use of hard spices and a wet spice mixture of rempah and coconut milk. Malay cuisine varies from region to region. Kelantanese cuisine, akin to Thai cooking for example, has a sweetish taste due to liberal use of coconut milk and sugar in cooking. On the other hand, the cuisine of Kedah is spicier due to the influence of Indians who arrived there centuries ago during the spice trade.