Living
Considering The City
This city certainly has a certain charm although it isn’t known for being one of the most exciting places in the world. For a major capital city it’s surprisingly small – outside the rush hour it’ll rarely take you more than 20 minutes drive to cross the city. At peak times however, the journey times can rise to well over an hour for the same trip. Its small size doesn’t make it easy to navigate either and getting lost is a frequent hazard, even for long-term residents. The city is built on a series of hills and the road system goes around (and occasionally through) them creating a confusing network of loops and turns. Add idiosyncratic signage and notoriously bad driving to the mix and it’s easy to see why the recently arrived GPS is catching on fast.
The hills do have the positive effect of keeping the area green. Their steepest slopes have so far outwitted developers, leaving pockets of forest among the skyscrapers. There are several formal parks in the city, best visited in the early morning or evening. Few can resist the charms of a good air conditioner in the heat of the day.
Malaysia’s multicultural society has plenty to offer the expat resident. The three major ethnic groups in Malaysia, Malays, Chinese and Indians, are all represented in sizeable numbers in the city. Food, religious festivals, art, music and handicrafts are all influenced by this multicultural mix, producing something uniquely Malaysian.
Rules regarding the issuing of work permits mean that expats tend to be in senior positions, and as a result a high standard of living can be expected. Salaries are high compared to the local cost of living, even in lower paid jobs such as teaching. If however, you buy a car, drink alcohol and consume a lot of imported products you may not find yourself saving much as these are comparatively expensive.
The vast majority of working expats come to the city because they are posted here by their companies. The oil and gas industry is the major employer, while other popular sectors are telecommunications and teaching. The broadcaster Al Jazeera has a large office here, although KL isn’t a popular location for other media organisations. There is a sizeable diplomatic community staffing the various embassies. It is possible to arrive on a dependents’ pass or social visit pass and find an employer who will apply for a work permit for you, but this is definitely unusual (see the work section for more details).
Once you’ve got over the initial paperwork and house hunting it is easy to feel at home. English is widely spoken and it’s easier to make sense of what’s happening around you than in many other Asian cities. It won’t be long before you’re switching lanes without indicating, double parking outside your favourite food stall and washing down your plate of nasi kandar with a teh tarik.
The hills do have the positive effect of keeping the area green. Their steepest slopes have so far outwitted developers, leaving pockets of forest among the skyscrapers. There are several formal parks in the city, best visited in the early morning or evening. Few can resist the charms of a good air conditioner in the heat of the day.
Malaysia’s multicultural society has plenty to offer the expat resident. The three major ethnic groups in Malaysia, Malays, Chinese and Indians, are all represented in sizeable numbers in the city. Food, religious festivals, art, music and handicrafts are all influenced by this multicultural mix, producing something uniquely Malaysian.
Rules regarding the issuing of work permits mean that expats tend to be in senior positions, and as a result a high standard of living can be expected. Salaries are high compared to the local cost of living, even in lower paid jobs such as teaching. If however, you buy a car, drink alcohol and consume a lot of imported products you may not find yourself saving much as these are comparatively expensive.
The vast majority of working expats come to the city because they are posted here by their companies. The oil and gas industry is the major employer, while other popular sectors are telecommunications and teaching. The broadcaster Al Jazeera has a large office here, although KL isn’t a popular location for other media organisations. There is a sizeable diplomatic community staffing the various embassies. It is possible to arrive on a dependents’ pass or social visit pass and find an employer who will apply for a work permit for you, but this is definitely unusual (see the work section for more details).
Once you’ve got over the initial paperwork and house hunting it is easy to feel at home. English is widely spoken and it’s easier to make sense of what’s happening around you than in many other Asian cities. It won’t be long before you’re switching lanes without indicating, double parking outside your favourite food stall and washing down your plate of nasi kandar with a teh tarik.
