Welcome to malaysia

[Rinrada]

Malaysia, My Second Home Program

Passport to a better lifestyle

choices ......just worth a second thought..

Malaysia, My Second Home Program is offered to foreign citizens from all over the world along with their spouse and children, to retire and reside in Malaysia. This exciting and unique program is being offered by the Government of Malaysia.

The Immigration Department of Malaysia has appointed Glamour Glad (M) Sdn Bhd to be one of the sponsors to promote this exciting and unique program.

Why adopt Malaysia as your Home away from Home

Weather  Sunny with intermittent rain all year round

Free of major natural disaster

People  Warm and friendly

22 million people Malays 60%, Chinese 25%, Indians 10%, Indigenous people 5%

High literacy level.

Harmonious

Major Religions - Freedom of religion  

Islam - Official religion

Buddhism

Christianity

Hinduism

Major Languages  

English - widely spoken

Bahasa Malaysia - Official language

Chinese - Mandarin and dialects

Tamil

Government

Britsih - type parliamentary democracy

Business Environment

Very conducive

Good infrastructure

Stable government policies

Several decades of sustained economic growth and political stability have made it one of the most buoyant and wealthy countries in the region

Business friendly

Cost of living

Very affordable

A fraction of the cost compared to other countries in the Asian region

http://www.retiringinmalaysia.com/aboutus.html

:cool:

[samuisam]

I was told that it is illegal to kiss a woman in public in Islamic Malaysia, is this true?

[fox]

Best answer for Samuisan.

As posted above, 60% are muslims and 40% are non-muslims.

For womanizing, just pick from the 40% category and you will be OK !.  My friends and I just did that when we were there.

" Mi mee pan haa ! " . Good luck and good hunting. ???

[Rinrada]

Visa Requirements Citizens or nationals of countries that require a Visa to enter Malaysia will be granted a Visa in Malaysia if the application is approved. This will be followed by the issuance of a 5 years Social Visit Pass which will need to be renewed yearly.

-2 very NICE little words Five Years.......

if only LOS would do the same.....

samuisam:

Why would you WANT to kiss a muslim woman in the street?

???

[TRIPxCORE]

I glanced at the website and I am very surprised that the Malay government is offering something like this.  The Thai government could learn something from the Malay's but I am sure Malaysia doesnt have the amount of farang trying to stay there like Thailand does.  If they did, maybe they would feel different.  The requirements by the Malay government are a little unrealistic though.

[LPCustom69]

At least Malaysia is welcoming foreigners. Thailand is trying to give them the boot. Wake up Thailand!

:cool:

[Roger13]

5 years Social Visit Pass which will need to be renewed yearly.

-2 very NICE little words Five Years.......

if only LOS would do the same.....

Rinrada

Why do you want Thailand to Restrict their

Retirement Visas to 5 years?

Roger

[samuisam]

samuisam:

Why would you WANT to kiss a muslim woman in the street?

Because I love her.

Because women are equal.

So, this is true then?

[TizMe]

samuisam,

I think "kissing in the street" is considered unacceptable behaviour in most if not all SE Asian countries.

Take her somewhere private.

[samuisam]

It is a yes or no question.  

Here it is again -

Rinrada-

I was told that it is illegal to kiss a woman in public in Islamic Malaysia, is this true?

[markt]

Charlie,  where are you when we need you!  

[TizMe]

This is from the Canadian Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Authorities in a Malaysian city have halted a morality campaign that fined couples for hugging and kissing in public parks, after an outcry in this mostly Muslim country.

The measures, meant to keep the northern city of Ipoh "morally clean," were stopped following wide criticism by newspapers, human rights groups and opposition leaders, Ipoh's mayor and other officials said Monday.

"We're sad that our good intentions . . . have been misinterpreted," Mayor Sirajuddin Salleh told The Associated Press. "We simply believe it's not right for Malaysians to kiss and hug excessively in front of others."

Sirajuddin said at least 170 couples have been fined between 30 ringgit and 100 ringgit ($8-26 US) since January for "indecent behaviour" under city bylaws for public parks.

The bylaws have existed for years in Ipoh, a city of 400,000 people about 180 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur. But Sirajuddin began enforcing them more strictly since he became mayor late last year.

Many couples in Malaysia hold hands in public and are generally not shy about showing affection. But passionate kisses draw frowns, especially from more conservative Malay Muslims, who comprise nearly 60 per cent of Malaysia's 24 million people.

State-enforced religious laws apply to Muslims and include regulation of family matters and courting. For example, men and unmarried women face up to two months in jail and fines if they are convicted of khalwat, or close proximity, a crime akin to adultery applying to unchaperoned meetings.

The main opposition group, the fundamentalist Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, has imposed stricter religious controls in the two states where it rules - such as segregating men and women at supermarket counters - and wants similar measures adopted nationally.

Malaysia also has large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, mostly Christians, Buddhists or Hindus.

Officials would not give figures, but said the couples fined in Ipoh were mainly non-Muslims, as religious affairs officers were responsible for monitoring Muslims.

Tajol Rosli Ghazali, chief minister of northern Perak state, said Monday that officials in Ipoh will no longer enforce the anti-kissing regulations, following talks with Chinese and Indian representatives.

Critics said the measures violate people's civic rights.

"Sirajuddin, the self-appointed moral guardian of Ipoh, has made us a laughing stock," said Jane Mun, editor of Web site Ipoh.com.my.

M. Kulasegaran, deputy secretary general of the opposition Democratic Action Party, said the measures were "overzealous" and urged Sirajuddin not to "impose his subjective values and opinions on people in Ipoh."

Some couples claimed they had been falsely targeted.

College student Lai Kar Leong, 20, said he was merely holding hands and chatting with his girlfriend in an Ipoh park in April when officials descended and accused them of groping each other. Lai said he has refused to pay the fine.

[Charlie]

Thank you, TizMe, I was about to post, and I am glad to say that your postings are very much better than mine. Very good. Good for you. Thanks once again.

The latest news is that City Hall has instructed the over zealous enforcement officers to " back off " . A few of them are being investigated for corruption and also suspended.

With the general election drawing very near, the authorities could not afford to irritate the public and to give better mileage to the opposition parties. Now life is back to normal.

[samuisam]

State-enforced religious laws apply to Muslims and include regulation of family matters and courting. For example, men and unmarried women face up to two months in jail and fines if they are convicted of khalwat, or close proximity, a crime akin to adultery applying to unchaperoned meetings.

I worry about what laws I may be breaking unknowingly when I go to Malaysia.  Have the Malaysian lawbooks been translated to English?

I think the following would be beneficial to Malaysia, and would attract visitors and retirees:

Seperation of Church and State (the state should have no part in enforcing the laws of a religion)

Freedom from Islamic religious law

Freedom of speech

Equality for women

Understanding that all people are created equal.

[bernard]

1 thing you have to remember folks about islamic influenced countries is that they try to impose the will of the few vociferous mullahs onto the silent majority.

Women, especially 'farangs' are treated as 3rd class citizens by the zealots.

Why do you think that most arabs, who can afford it, go to places like Europe, USA and Thailand during ramahdan. In their own country they enforce their idealisms in public. In private it is a different matter. However, during the month of ramahdan, between sun up and sun down, they have no escape.

I could go on for ages about this. I've had 1st hand experience, with my Thai wife, of walking down some streets in arab countries. Trust me, it is not an experience you want to subject a lady too. It wont happen again!

[Charlie]

Hi Samuisam,

Quote: Have the Malaysian lawbooks been translated to English? . The answer is the other way round.

I am not a lawyer, but I was a law student with London External. Now some info for your reading.

The legal system in Malaysia is in English and based on English jurisprudence. Most of the lawyers are English trained.

In High court, cases could be conducted in English, with consent, as the case may be. Laws passed by Parliament are written in English and in Malay. Most of the legal contracts are written in English. If there is a conflict of laws, the English version shall prevail. By the way, you are also allowed to lodge a police report at the station in the English Language. And English speaking officers will attend to your case. In ending, I wish to say that English is widely spoken and English is the second language of this nation.

 ???

[Charlie]

In a hurry I forgot to add the following words.......

It should read as..... the English version shall prevail by mutual agreement of all parties.

In legal terms, a comma, or a full stop could mean otherwise.

Sorry for the mistake.

Regards,

charlie :cool:

[samuisam]

Thanks Charlie!

[Charlie]

Hi Samuisam,

Glad to hear from you.

Thank you for your reply.

Regards,

charlie

[sabaijai]

I lived in KL for two years awhile back. Concern for khalwat (close proximity to a Muslim woman without chaperone) and zinni (having sex with a Muslim woman who is not your wife) was very palpable and paranoia-inducing in my experience.

This may be changing:

Malaysian gov't considers clipping powers of religious police

2005/1/30

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, AP

The powers given to Malaysia's religious police are being reviewed after Islamic authorities raided a disco and arrested about 100 Muslims for alleged indecent behavior, a report said Saturday.

Officials from the Kuala Lumpur Religious Department entered the disco after midnight on Jan. 20, turned off the music and herded the Muslims to the department's headquarters on a truck, the New Straits Times newspaper reported.

The Muslim disco patrons were locked up for about 10 hours, during which time several officials humiliated the women, commenting on their attire and taking photographs of them, the report said.

A Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Wednesday discussed the disco raid and ordered the country's attorney general to examine religious police powers, the newspaper reported.

"We have suggested that the attorney general look into the intrinsic power of religious authorities," the newspaper quoted Culture Minister Rais Yatim as saying. "In this case, whether the officers had the right to detain the people for that long. The suspicion is that they only had limited powers."

Rais said the Cabinet also felt that Malaysia did not require what the newspaper described as morality police because "we concluded that morality is best left to the family."

It was unclear whether Rais meant that Malaysia would abolish religious police units or curb their powers to arrest Muslims deemed to be involved in immoral activities. Rais was not immediately available for comment.

Such raids by Islamic officials to check on Muslim morality are rare, with inspections usually confined to lovers' haunts and open public places to curb "khalwat," or "close proximity," a crime akin to adultery applying to unchaperoned meetings between men and women. Those found guilty of khalwat can be jailed for up to two months under Islamic laws, which do not apply to non-Muslims.

The newspaper said the disco raid had "forced the government to evaluate whether the power to detain people should be taken out of the hands of the religious authorities and placed only in that of the police."

More than half of Malaysia's 25 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims. There are also many Chinese and Indians.

Malaysia generally regards itself as a tolerant Islamic country. It currently heads the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Muslim grouping.

[Explorer]

The Malaysia You Didn't Know

1) There is NO freedom of speech. Any individuals who are up against the goverment ( even in the smallest cases) will be arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA)

2) There is NO freedom to religion. This goes out to the muslim. If you are borned in a muslim country there is NO way of changing your religion in the future. This also applies for other religion who took Islam as their religion will not be allowed to return to their in the future. In other words, there is no turning back.

3) All local newspaper belongs to the govt. All newpaper editor MUST report to the ministry before publishing any govt news on the newspaper or any malaysia realted story.

4) If you are caught with a muslim of the opposite sex in a room/house. You may have to marry her (if you are a muslim) or you may be fined up to RM10,000 or jailed 1 month (if you are not muslim).

5) The govt LOVE to hike the cigarettes and liquor taxes, sometimes up to 60% a year.

Explorer

[Charlie]

QUOTE :

4) If you are caught with a muslim of the opposite sex in a room/house. You may have to marry her (if you are a muslim) or you may be fined up to RM10,000 or jailed 1 month (if you are not muslim).

Reply:

Your above statement , with reference to the " non-muslim " is incorrect.

As a non- muslim, you will not be charged. You are free to go.

Under the civil law, you have not committed any criminal offences.

Only the muslim partner will be charged under their Syriah Law (Muslim Jurisprudence).

If you were to convert to be a Muslim, because of marriage, or reasons best known to you,

then there is no turning back.

You will not be allowed to revert back to your former religion, or to be a free thinker.

The only solution is to pack up and live in Los or go to other countries.

The best advice is to back off and concentrate your fun on the rest of the

40% of the non-muslim population. That is what I am doing.

Mai mee pan har ! sawatdi krap !

[Kan Win]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4221321.stm

Malaysia illegals face round-up.

A deadline for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to voluntarily leave Malaysia or face arrest and punishment expires on Monday. (Today)

The government has warned that armed raiding parties will begin rounding up illicit foreign workers and their employers after a three-month amnesty.

Those caught and found guilty of immigration offences risk being fined, whipped and imprisoned. The move has caused widespread concern among human rights groups.

The BBC's Jonathan Kent in Kuala Lumpur says this promises to be a round-up on a vast scale.

He says estimates have put the number of undocumented foreign workers in Malaysia at up to one and a half million.

Abuse fears

Most of the illegal immigrants have come from neighbouring Indonesia, which has twice persuaded Malaysia to extend the expulsion deadline.

But although Indonesia's resources are still stretched coping with the tsunami devastation in Aceh, Malaysia has signalled that it will wait no longer.

Our correspondent says 500,000 police and civilian volunteers are on standby, waiting to carry out raids and arrest anyone who remains in Malaysia without the correct papers.

He says illegal immigrants are widely blamed for rising crime there, but human rights groups say that the participation of so many civilians in the round-ups, some of them carrying firearms, could easily lead to accidents and abuses.

The Malaysian government, however, says the deportations will be conducted humanely and it has promised to quickly process applications from those who have left before the deadline and want to return.