 |
|
 |
| The elephants are doing a handstand（ZOO NEGARA）. |
| Click on the photo to enlarge it ・・・ |
| No | Table |
| １ | Shopping |
| ２ | Currency |
| ３ | Bank Accounts |
| ４ | Condominium |
| ５ | Electricity・Water・Gas |
| ６ | Post |
| ７ | Phone |
| ８ | Newspapers ・Information Magazines |
| ９ | Books |
| １０ | Satellite Broadcasting (Astro) |
| １１ | Hplidays on the Island |
| １２ | Return to Menu |
| In order to live in Malaysia , my family bought a lot of various daily
necessities in Japan and sent them by air and sea mail before traveling
to Malaysia. Because I thought that when we went to Malaysia , they wouldn't be sold. However , when I came to Malaysia and lived there , it was completely different from what I expected. Most of the items sold in Japan can be purchased in Malaysia. Most of them don't have to be sent from Japan. My family buys groceries at a shopping center called "Bangsar Village". This is because the grocery store is on the first floor and we can park right next to it , which is very convenient for shopping. The place where we can find daily necessities and everything else is a huge shopping center called "Mid Valley Megamall". The store opens at 10 o'clock in the morning , but it gets so crowded that we can't enter the parking lot around noon on Sundays and "JASCO" , "Carrefour" etc. are included here. In the center of Kuala Lumpur , KLCC , which has a twin tower , also has a huge shopping center. "Isetan"etc. are included here. Isetan has "Kinokuniya Bookstore" , which sells only Japanese books , which is very useful. The price and atmosphere of "MidValley Megamall" is more popular than those of KLCC. The "Central Market" is a convenient place to buy souvenirs. Chaina Town is nearby and you can enjoy it just by looking at it. |
 |
| Mid Valley Megamall Decorated with a Large Christmas Tree |
 |
| Mid Valley Megamall for Chinese New Year when the Performance of the Chinese Miscellaneous Troup Was Released |
 |
| Central Market with Malaysian Traditional Crafts Stores |
| Malaysian banknotes include RM100 , RM50 , RM10 , RM5 , RM2 , and RM1.
For example , RM100 is called 100 ringgit. The coins include RM1 , SEN50 , SEN20 , SEN10 , SEN5 , and SEN1. For example , SEN50 is called 50 sen. SEN100 = RM1. "How much ?" is callled "Berapa ringgit ?"in Malay. |
 |
| Malaysian Banknotes（ＲＭ５０、ＲＭ１０、ＲＭ５、ＲＭ１） |
| For example , the locally-owned Malay Bank "Bumiputera Bank"
has branches in various parts of Malaysia and is also on the campus of
the University of Malaya. It is convenient to have an ATM installed in
a large shopping center or at a convenience store at a gas station depending
on the location. However for payments , checks and cash are common because the direct debit system is not as widespread as in Japan. The currency is RM 1 = SEN 100. Since September 1998 , it has been fixed at RM 3.8 = US$ 1(US dollar). RM 1 is about 30 yen. |
 |
| ＡＴＭ（You can withdraw cash up to RM 100 at a time , up to 3 times a day） |
| When using an ATM , in my experience , I couldn't withdraw cash twice
a day for three consecutive days. The use of the card has stopped. I offered
it to the bank teller and had it restored to use. Is it to prevent others
from using the card illeglly if the card is dropped or stolen ? ＜About bringing in and taking out currency＞ Due to the currency regulations that came into effect in Septemper 1998 , the amount of currency brought in must be declared when entering Malaysia. This document must be submitted each time you leave Malaysia , so you must keep it for yourself. There is no limit to the amount of currency you can bring into Malaysia , but you can not bring out more than the declared currency. In addition , remittance from Malaysian account (Ringgit) to your own account (Yen) in Japan requires some procedures , but it is possible. At this time , a fee is required. ＜About credit cards＞ It is possible to make a credit card in Malaysia , but it requires a large deposit , so it is better to bring at least one that was used in Japan. It may be required not only for payment but also for hotel and airline ticket reservations and deposits. |
| A condominium is like a high-rise apartment with funiture , and the floor
plan is generally 3LDK. The owner is different for each room. Therefore
, basically , the rent of each room is decided by negotiation with each
owner. There is an approximate market price depending on the location of
the condominium , the age of the condominium , the location and size of
the room , and there are some differences depending on the amount of furniture
. For problems such as water lerks and furniture repairs , it is basically
necessary to contact the owner and discuss the cost burden and repair method. |
 |
| Cond and Pool |
| At the entrance of the condominium , there is a guard house , and there
are two or three guards who check the cars and people who come and go 24
hours a day. Non-resident guests are confirmed in each room from the guard
house by interphone. Inaddition , since the elevater hall is an auto-locking
type , non-residents who don't have a card can not freely enter the inside. There is a management office on the premises of the condominium. There is also a multi-storey car park , and each room has a space for one car , and there is also a space for shared car washing. The main facilities include outdoor pools , children's plaza , tennis courts , badvinton courts , squash court , training gym , etc. , and with some exceptions , they can be used freely untill 10 pm. |
| ＜Electricity＞ The voltage in Malaysia is 220 - 240 volts and the frequency is 50 Hz. The shape of the outlet is different from that of Japan. Mainly , BF type with 3 holes , and C type with 2 holes can also be used. When using 100 volt electrical products used in Japan in Malaysia , the voltage in Malaysia must be transformed to 100 volts. Transformers can be purchased at famous Malaysian electronics stores , JUSCO , and etc. The price of the transformer varies depending on the available power , but usually it is RM 200 to RM 400 per unit. Malaysia usually needs a cooler all year round. The electricity bill for my house is about RM 150 - RM 200 per month. |
 |
| Outlet with 3 Holes |
 |
| Transformer |
| ＜Water＞ If it is not filterd , it is not suitable for washing as well as drinking. Drinking water is passed through the filter water purifiers inside and outside once , and then boiled before drinking. The water for washing is also used by passing through the filter water purifier inside and outside once. In addition , the filter water purifier outside is used once for face washing , shower , dish washing , etc. The water bill for my house is about RM 50 per month. |
 |
| Filter Water Purifier |
| ＜Gas＞ There are places where propane gas in gas cylinders is used for each house , and there are places where a system to supply all households at once is in place , and there are differences depending on the residence. The gas bill in my house is about RM 15 per month. |
| ＜Air Mail＞ Postcard：RM 0.50 Sealed letter：Up to 10 g , RM 0.55 , RM 0.35 for every 10 g excess （maximum weight 2 kg） Parcel：Up to 250 g , RM41.20 , RM 5.20 for every 250 g excess (maximum weight 20 kg , Insurance limit RM 3,000) ※It takes about a week to receive it in Japan. |
 |
| ＰＯＳ（Post office） |
| ＜Sea Mail＞ Parcel：Up to 1 kg , RM 38.00 , up to 3 kg , RM 43.20 , up to 5 kg , RM 50.50 , up to 10 kg , RM 63 , up to 15 kg , RM 80.20 , up to 20 kg , RM 97.60 (maximum weight 20 kg) ※It takes about 1 and a half months to receive it in Japan. ＜POSLAJU MALAYSIA＞ If you want to send important mail documents and parcels by mail as soon as possible , use EMS (Express Mail Services). It will be delivered within 24 hours in Malaysia and in 3 - 4 days to Japan. For Japan , RM 35.0 up to the first 500 g , RM 8.00 for every 500 g excess. In addition , a 5 % tax will be charged. Ｈｏｗｅｖｅｒ，ｔｈｅ ｍａｘｉｍｕｍ ｗｅｉｇｈｔ ｉｓ 10 ｋｇ，ａｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｄｉｍｅｎｓｉｏｎｓ ａｒｅ 2 ｍ ｏｒ ｌｅｓｓ ｉｎ ｌｅｎｇｔｈ + width + height. |
| There are several telephone campanies. The following is the case of Telecom
Malaysia. |
 |
| Telekom Tower （It has the shape of a bamboo shoot） |
| ＜Application and installation＞ For new installation , apply for passport , RM 1075 as a depost (RM 1000 for international dialcall , RM 75 for domestic call ) , installation fee RM 50 (when indoor wiring is not required) , application form , stanp fee RM 10 to the jurisdiction Telecom. It is usually installed in 2 - 3 weeks ＜Telephone fee＞ ・Telephone charges are closed by Telekom on the same day (depending on the house) every month and an invoice is mailed. ・Telephone charges will be paid at the post office by the designated date （Basic charge RM 23.00 + call charge) My family uses the internet quite a bit for dial-up , but the charge is around RM 60 per month. ･International call (Dial call charge from Malaysia to Japan Regular charge : RM 0.33 per 6 seconds (Monday - Saturday 7:00 - 21:00) Discounted rate : RM 0.29 per 6 seconds (Monday - Saturday 21:00- 7:00 , Saturday 18:00 - Monday 7:00 , Sunday , holiday) ＜International phone number（International phone direct）＞ ・Malaysia→Japan （International dial number：00）−（country code：81）−（Area code excluding 0）−（The other party's phone number） Example：When calling from Malaysia to Tokyo 03-1234-5678 00-81-3-1234-5678 ・Japan→Malaysia （NTT international dial number : 0033）−（International call identification number ： 010）−（country code：60）−（code excluding 0）−（The other party's phone number） Example：when calling from Japan to Kuala lumpur 03-123-4567 00xx-010-60-3-123-4567 ※If you subscribe to My Line Plus , you don't need the international dial number (00xx) of the telephone company. ＜International call connection service＞ Example of connection service when making an international call ・Contact method Register your home or mobile phone number with the connection service company in advance. For example , to use the connection service called Xintel , dial the toll-free connection-only number and then press the other party's number and #. You can also send a fax by pressing the fax transfer button ahter #. You can make a call to Japan at 80 SEN per minute.The call quarity is sightly inferior to normal , but I do not feel any trouble in the call. ・Prepaid method Purchase and use the Nextel Privade Card for RM50 , RM 100 , etc. To use it , call the connection - only number , press the 15 - digit number and # written on the card , and then press the other party's number and #. You can also send a fax by pressing the fax transfer button after # . You can make a call to Japan at 48 SEN per minute. The call quality is not inferior to that of a normal phome. ＜Public phone＞ There are card phones and coin - only phones. Cards payhones have different cards depending on the company and are not compatible. The coins that can be used are 10 SEN , 20 SEN , 50 SEN , and RM 1 , and in the case of the city , you can speak at 10 SEN for 3 minutes. ＜Cell phone＞ There are currently five companies in Malaysia that offer mobile phone services. Service content , service area , and terminal charges vary from company to company. The initial cost is about RM 400-500 , including the main body , and prepaid. |
 |
| ＮＥＸＴＥＬ ＣＡＲＤ |
| ＜New Straits Times＞ The most popular general paper（Approximately RM 35/month） ＜The Star＞ If anything , there is a lot of local news , there is a wealth of information on appartments and properties （approximately RM 30 month） ＜Asahi Shimbun 、Nihon Keizai Shimbun 、Yomiuri Shimbun＞ The satelite version will be delivered around 2:00 pm on the day （Approximately RM 235-300/month） ＜Nichima Press (every other week)、Nangoku Newspaper(every week),Panora(Montyly)、J-Trend(Monthly・English)＞ Magazine for Japanese. They are distributed in places where many Japanese people gather , such as Japanese restaurants and Japanese department stores. Useful information on Malysia / KL is available (free). ＜Hello Malaysia＞ Life information magazine in Malaysia. You can get all kinds of information from entry to life , and return to Japan. (RM 60) |
| Japanese books can be purchased at "Kinokuniya Bookstore" in
Isetan , or at "Nikonikodo" in the Japanese Association or JASCO. If the item is out of stock at the store , it will be ordered by air or surface mail. You can also subscribe to magazines. The price of Japanese books is 1.5 to 2 times higher than in Japan. |
 |
| "Kinokuniya Bookstore" in Isetan Where Only Japanese Books Are Lined Up (It is 3-4 times larger than that on the phote) |
| Astro is Malaysia's only satelite broadcast and can receive TV and radio. The viewing fee varies depending on the type of contact , but if you made a contact that allows you watch NHK , the monthly fee will be about RM 70-100. The time difference between Malaysia and Japan is one hour , so you can watch NHK's morning TV novel from 7:15 in Malaysia. |
| When asked "What do you recommend for your trip in Malysia ?",
I don't hesitate to answer "Island is the best !". There are many islands in Malays that can be called "Tropical paradise". They are on the east and west coast of the Malay Peninsula , but the east coast seems to be cleaner. In Malaysia , a trip to those islands is recommended. There is no doubt that you can fully enjoy the rtropical mood , and the services and services of marine sports such as snorkeling and diving are substantial and you can fully enjoy it. Resort development is progressing , and accommodation facilities and marine sports equipment can be used at a resonable price. Malaysia is a country of everlanding summer , but there are good seasons for traveling to the island. On Redang Island on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula , there are many inns that are basically closed during the monsoon (Nobember to February) . On the other hand , some luxury resort hotels are open all year around. |
 |
| Hotel Private Beach on the Redang Island in the Sea on the East Coast |
 |
| The Clear Sea Surrounded by Coral Reefs on the Redang Island |
 |
| Dinner at a Hotel on Lang Kawi Island in the Sea on the West Coast |
 |
| Propeller Airliner to and from Malay Peninsula and Redang Island |