Escaping the Hectic Life — A Singaporean IT Specialist's Move to JB

What drives Singaporeans to start a life in JB? Well, for this single male IT specialist in his late 30s from Bedok, one of the reasons is the fact that life in Singapore has become somewhat of a grind. The stress of the competitive, fast-paced environment is no longer what he wants. Like many of his friends, his work/life balance has become extremely skewed towards work. Worse, with the cost of living ever-rising, there seems to be no hope for a breezy retirement. Small wonder that there's an increasing number of Singaporeans that are in search of an exit strategy.

Fortunately, JB offers just that. Thanks to the various Singapore/Malaysia cost of living arbitrage perks, Singaporeans can live comfortably in JB, indeed, generously, yet be close enough to Singapore to pop back and forth pretty much whenever they feel like it. Especially once the RTS has been completed, anyone who rebased from Singapore to JB will have both locations as good as at their fingertips at all times.

Ideal Escape

So moving to JB gives this IT specialist the chance to escape the kiasu mentality that dominates Singaporean life, a mentality that's borne from the population's sheer will to do well, the relentless drive to progress. Let's face it, it's part of what made Singapore the high-income powerhouse that it is. But you only live once and on an individual level, when do you get to enjoy the fruit of your labour?

Meanehile, JB, located just across the Causeway, offers a more balanced, more laid-back and a certainly more affordable lifestyle. The SGD/MYR currency multiplier alone instantly triples Singaporeans' disposable income. That's quite a leap in spending power right off the bat!

Financial Gains

But there's more. Because with his Singapore home fully paid off and his STI and cryptocurrency investments maturing, the IT specialist can rent out his property for a substantial income, especially once converted to Ringgit. In fact, given his net worth, the favourable currency exchange rate and the tax-exemptions on overseas remittances of funds to Malaysia, he's able to finance quite a generous lifestyle in JB. He may well not even need to work full-time anymore, giving him the freedom to focus on personal interests, such as travel—courtesy of this unique lifestyle arbitrage opportunity—a once in a lifetime set of circumstances.

Healthcare and Quality of Life

Healthcare in JB is both affordable and high-quality, with some JB clinics owned and run by Singaporean medical groups. For a single professional, who values peace of mind and access to good healthcare, JB provides the ideal environment. Moreover, the slower pace of life means less stress and more time to enjoy activities that matter, without the relentless social competition that's so pervasive in Singapore culture. Less pressure, less stress. After all, health is the real wealth.

Not sure if moving to JB is really the route you want to take with your family? Well, if you want to get a lay of the land first, you can of course decide to rent a home first, say, for several months or so. This allows you to enjoy the benefits of living in JB, in a rented landed property for instance, with no strings attached. In fact, it appears that more and more Singaporeans have been quick to realise the value of rebasing to JB, be it full-time or part-time, at least judging by the home prices in JB, as they've been inching upwards.

MM2H — The Practical Option

Are there any visa requirements for rebasing to JB? Well, even though at first glance, the so-called ASEAN visa may seem like a suitable solution for those looking to reside in JB for stretches of several weeks at a time, the 30-day social pass is probably not the path of least resistance in the long run. How so? Although ultimately subject to the discretion of the immigration officer on duty on any given day, eventually, the authorities may start to ask questions about their repeated uninterrupted stays in Malaysia.

To preempt this, our IT specialist can apply for the MM2H SEZ/SFZ visa, for instance. This long-term visa will provide him with a secure stay in JB, ensuring he can enjoy his new-found expattriate-type of lifestyle without the nagging worry of visa issues. Effectively, all MM2H-holders can come and go whenever they please, as often as they please. With MM2H, there's no limit in the number of times you cross the border. That's peace of mind.

In any case, for this single IT professional seeking a break from Singapore's presure-cooker environment, JB offers the perfect escape. With Singapore's healthy rental market working in his favour and a slower, more relaxed pace of life to look forward to, living in JB is a very realistic option. Combining the enviable expat lifestyle in JB with Malaysia's MM2H visa ensures he gets to embrace the best of both worlds.