Living in JB

[austin_hts]

Will have to sell above RM 500K ! Yes, seems ex. Qn is how long will it take to 'transform/revitalise' JB city? Or will it ever happen? See artitcles :

Time to revitalise rustic part of JB city - 27 MAY 2010
http://www.iskandarmalaysia.com.my/news/100527/time-to-revitalise-rustic-part-of-jb-city

Master plan for JB redevelopment soon - 5 Feb 2011
Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) chief executive officer Ismail Ibrahim said the project, which would take five to seven years to complete, would transform Johor Baru into a vibrant city.
http://www.starproperty.my/PropertyScene/TheStarOnlineHighlightBox/9977/0/0

Transforming Johor Bahru -12 May, 2011
Malaysian government, under the 10th Malaysia Plan, has allocated RM1.8 bil towards the transformation of Johor Bahru City Centre. With that, it is anticipated that the Johor government will unveil its transformation strategy to redevelop Johor Bahru in the coming quarter of 2011.
http://www.iproperty.com.my/news/3595/Transforming-Johor-Bahru-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For info.... when The Sail @ Marina was launched at S$900-S$1000 psf many years ago, it was considered very very ex. Now selling up to psf S$3000 !

From URA website (caveats lodged)
THE SAIL @ MARINA BAY S$1,570,000 614 sqft 2,559 psf May-11
THE SAIL @ MARINA BAY S$1,627,100 614 sqft 2,652 psf Apr-11
THE SAIL @ MARINA BAY S$6,231,000 2,077 sqft 2,999 psf Apr-11
THE SAIL @ MARINA BAY S$3,600,000 1,184 sqft 3,040 psf Apr-11

I see ! But might have problem if you want to resale to foreigner . Just feel that for a small flat of 533sq ft , is quite ex leh !

 

[pockaroo]

Dear Wuqi, et al,

For you and many of the folks here who own several Malaysian properties for rental income and investments, what are the tax issues that you have faced?
I assume some/most of you folks still pay your income taxes in Singapore... so how do you square this with your Malaysian rental incomes?

Max

I believe off shore income generated regardless whether repatriated (brought) back to Singapore is not taxable. Check the IRA website, they are very clear what is taxable and what is not.

 

[InformedHH]

Thank you for your greetings and appreciating the hardwork put in by the forummers here in presenting so much of information here.

You have said yourself that the appeal of moving to JB is clear to all. you further state the pros outweight the cons.

What a nice hypothetical question you ask? Are you trying to insult the intelligence of the forummers here? You think the forummers out here are poor?

The forummers out here are pretty much polite. That is possibly one of the reasons they have not come down heavily on you.

You think you are rich living in your pigeon hole in Singapore? Do you know the forummers here possibly spend much more than you?

Let me answer you "Most of us in this forum can make it in Spore as well. Many of us have already made it in Spore."

We have chosen to go into JB out of our wisdom. We have chosen to ignore the stupidity and retarded mindset that people of your ilk have for our own betterment.

The very fact that you have asked such a question goes on to prove your mental wellbeing to us caused possibly by having been caged in your pigeon hole (even if that were a bungalow) cause it can never get as big as what some of us have here in Johor.

Dun hide ur insecurities between pleasantries and questions that try to belittle us.

Belittle yourself. Cause you deserve everybit of it.

Cast yourself into an abyss and curse yourself for having asked us such questions.

You want our success formula. Read the 200+ pages. Dun ask for success recipes. They dun come easy.

Dun you dare make the statement "if we could afford"

Ask yourself what have you achieved. Kindly tell us what do you work as, what your achievements in Spore are and what you plan to do in the near future. Please add how much of savings you will have and the lifestyle you will lead.

Once we believe you are worthy of your time we may wanna shed lots of light to you not just some.

Greetings all, I have been following this thread from the beginning, and kudos and thanks to all those who've learnt and shared selflessly. The appeal of moving to JB is clear to all, and with limited downsides, the pros seem to outweigh the cons.

However, I'd like to ask an interesting hypothetical question, which I am not sure has been asked before, but here goes:

If you could afford to stay in Singapore, would you still move to Johor?

When I say "could afford" I mean you can pay up your primary residence (whatever type, before retirement) and have enough income to cover your needs, plus you project that retirement by a decent age is still achievable.

I hope those who've made the move or are considering the move, can shed some light as to how they might think, assuming they could achieve financial independence in Singapore. In other words, would the scale still tip in the same direction.

Any replies are much appreciated, and many thanks in advance.

Pleb.

 

[InformedHH]

Unless you look like a rich Chinese they should not bother with you.

Guess they just thought ur Malaysian and a good target.

I am chinese... I look very simple, dress very simple and there is no way for them to know I am Singaporean just by looking at me... But they can tell I am chinese for sure..

 

[InformedHH]

The newbies like the pleb guy looking for instant gratification.

Dun wanna share his side of the story.

Clow that he is

Each and everyone of us here has a story to tell. Depends on whether we ask. So I would like to ask for an introduction from all newbies that comes here. We would like to hear your story.

 

[InformedHH]

You dumbtwit people like Cathy, Last resort, Wuqi etc have more than one unit.

Where the hell did you get the idea that they/we cant afford to live in Singapore?

Have you read the massages/fireworks etc that people spend money here on?

What fireworks do you do? Fart thru ur arse? Is that the best you can do in your pigeon hole?

Dumbass!

Ur an outcast. Get lost.

Greetings all, I have been following this thread from the beginning, and kudos and thanks to all those who've learnt and shared selflessly. The appeal of moving to JB is clear to all, and with limited downsides, the pros seem to outweigh the cons.

However, I'd like to ask an interesting hypothetical question, which I am not sure has been asked before, but here goes:

If you could afford to stay in Singapore, would you still move to Johor?

When I say "could afford" I mean you can pay up your primary residence (whatever type, before retirement) and have enough income to cover your needs, plus you project that retirement by a decent age is still achievable.

I hope those who've made the move or are considering the move, can shed some light as to how they might think, assuming they could achieve financial independence in Singapore. In other words, would the scale still tip in the same direction.

Any replies are much appreciated, and many thanks in advance.

Pleb.

 

[InformedHH]

No brudder not so bad. can practice in whole of Malaysia.

Is degree recongnised in SG ? Would be scarry after spending a few hundreds thousand ringgit and can only practice in Nusajaya.

 

[InformedHH]

Also means no need to study so hard.

Dun stress ur kids up. As long as you have Rm 90k im prepared to give you a seat.

What kind of doctors will u get this way?

Geez ..... where is the world heading...

Admission must always be on merit.... the deserving must get it and lots of scholarships must be offered to them.

However i can state most profit making institutions will turn a blind eye to merit.

Fees
The comprehensive tuition fee for the academic session 2011–12 is set at RM90,000.


Entry Requirements
A-Level. Applicants wishing to be considered with A levels are normally required to achieve 15 points at H2 (A=5; B=4; C=3; D=2; E=1). Subjects should include Chemistry and/or Biology at H2 or H1 level. Normally we take the three highest ‘A’ level grades offered, however further consideration may be given to additional academic achievement.

 

[InformedHH]

Upgrade sia not ungrade..

Well , if I strike TOTO of 2 million SG dollars now , I will still choose to stay here in JB , maybe ungrade to a higher range of house thats all ! Once you fall in love in this place , you wont like to move back to SG liao !
Just my view.

 

[singaporeplebian]

Hi,

I am sorry my question provoked such a response, no disrespect was meant, sincerely. The last thing on my mind was to insinuate that those who made the move, could not make it in Sg. On hindsight, I realise my post may have come across that way. I apologise.

The question was really hypothetical in nature, and worded very badly. In essence, it should have been worded something like "given the choice, without any financial considerations, where would you prefer to live?"

With due respect the chap who I aggravated with my post, I actually have read every page, as I've followed the thread from the beginning, and I did not recall anyone discussing the move from this perspective, and I was genuinely curious. Perhaps too much so.

Again, I apologise for my insensitivity.

Pleb.

 

[euphony]

Admission must always be on merit.... the deserving must get it and lots of scholarships must be offered to them.

However i can state most profit making institutions will turn a blind eye to merit.

actually i must humbly beg to differ because I am close to the field. merit just means the students are exam smart ace at tackling exam questions. it does not yield any substantial information about the potential diagnostic skills of the person which more often than not requires the physician to be both inquisitive and creative given the plethora of available tools in laboratory, imaging and physical exam etc. That's why some in the field call it an 'art'. more importantly, grades does not show whether a student is 'fit' to be a physician. Its empathy. as famously mentioned by a physician turned screenwriter, any idiot could suture a wound and put in a chest tube. but you (need to) have a gift...

 

[InformedHH]

Merit = exam grades right?

Teaching is an art too. Can we take a person with low marks and ask him to teach our kids?

Would we go to a doctor if we definitely knew his/her academic marks were low?

A good academic foundation is a must.

Art is definitely important.

actually i must humbly beg to differ because I am close to the field. merit just means the students are exam smart ace at tackling exam questions. it does not yield any substantial information about the potential diagnostic skills of the person which more often than not requires the physician to be both inquisitive and creative given the plethora of available tools in laboratory, imaging and physical exam etc. That's why some in the field call it an 'art'. more importantly, grades does not show whether a student is 'fit' to be a physician. Its empathy. as famously mentioned by a physician turned screenwriter, any idiot could suture a wound and put in a chest tube. but you (need to) have a gift...

 

[lastresort]

am so happy to read about your story. to the rest of the readers do come on in to pitch your stories like cathy mentioned! =)
it could be a learning point for everyone. Also beg your pardon for some of your posts missed. Because the board moves very fast, those who have clocked <20 posts (I think?) will have to wait for moderator. when they do turn up it could be a few pages back already. Repost them if you need the info. Because the board contains massive amounts of info some of the things may have been previously discussed and answered. You can go to the top right of the forum click search thread and click advanced search and type in key terms and work from there. Love to hear more stories keep them coming!

Great to know you guys like my story. I guess only True Blue Singaporeans will understand our stories and that is why this forum/community is such a great place for us to gather and share.

haha, thanks for the tip too, I didn't know it would take so long for the post to appear.

 

[euphony]

Teaching is an art too. Can we take a person with low marks and ask him to teach our kids?

oh well one man's meat another's grades. let's agree to disagree =)
point about teachers is how effective they are not how many distinctions they have scored in school previously. Are they good enough to induce a spirit of learning? to get kids excited about school? to inculcate valuable life lessons etc. I was once offered a place in the local U but rejected when i dropped into the class to sample what's on offer (its quite exciting when I did it actually! although I had friends who sneaked me in). The profs are no doubt brilliant but the magic is totally lost the moment they tried to teach. I was lucky enough to pursue a degree program in a brand name uni in UK. I was kept at the edge of my seat constantly i forgot how many times my jaws dropped in amazement. The profs there really loved to teach!

juxtapose it to the current crop of ruling party elites. Many coming from a scholar program like that of ancient China. Many are terrifically good in their grades but are very detached from the common men at large (there are small exceptions once in a while) writing policies nary a thought to the consequences of implementation. I am sure characters like TPL could have done exceptionally well academically in the past but her grades could only carry her that far...

 

[avalon74]

Greetings all, I have been following this thread from the beginning, and kudos and thanks to all those who've learnt and shared selflessly. The appeal of moving to JB is clear to all, and with limited downsides, the pros seem to outweigh the cons.

However, I'd like to ask an interesting hypothetical question, which I am not sure has been asked before, but here goes:

If you could afford to stay in Singapore, would you still move to Johor?

When I say "could afford" I mean you can pay up your primary residence (whatever type, before retirement) and have enough income to cover your needs, plus you project that retirement by a decent age is still achievable.

I hope those who've made the move or are considering the move, can shed some light as to how they might think, assuming they could achieve financial independence in Singapore. In other words, would the scale still tip in the same direction.

Any replies are much appreciated, and many thanks in advance.

Pleb.

Hi Pleb,
A no of the forummers here are weekenders like myself..
We use CPF for the payments of Sg property (likely hdb) while the JB property may serve as a weekend resort or asylum..

Most would agree that expense in JB would be more affordable hence any retirement money would last easily 1.5 times longer in JB compared to Sg esp with escalating cpi in recent times.

Other perks include having freehold property at a 3rm leasehold HDB price..
Believe many other would contribute more on reasons why we head north...

Welcome..

 

[euphony]

sorry about repeat post!!

 

[singaporeplebian]

Hi Pleb,
A no of the forummers here are weekenders like myself..
We use CPF for the payments of Sg property (likely hdb) while the JB property may serve as a weekend resort or asylum..

Most would agree that expense in JB would be more affordable hence any retirement money would last easily 1.5 times longer in JB compared to Sg esp with escalating cpi in recent times.

Other perks include having freehold property at a 3rm leasehold HDB price..
Believe many other would contribute more on reasons why we head north...

Welcome..

Many thanks Avalon, for a minute I felt like I walked into a lion's den. Your welcoming reply is very much appreciated.

 

[ginfreely]

Application for Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia is opened for Sep 11 in-take. Good for those who want to study medicine, but cannot get a place in NUS.
But need to check whether and when the degree will be recognised by the Singapore Medical Council.


http://www.ncl.ac.uk/numed/

Extracted some info for easy reference :

How to Apply - Entry 2011
Application for the MB BS programme is free and is now open for the September 2011 intake. Places are limited, but if you already meet the entry requirements or are forecast to meet them by mid-August 2011, then please complete and submit an application form.

Fees
The comprehensive tuition fee for the academic session 2011–12 is set at RM90,000.


Entry Requirements
A-Level. Applicants wishing to be considered with A levels are normally required to achieve 15 points at H2 (A=5; B=4; C=3; D=2; E=1). Subjects should include Chemistry and/or Biology at H2 or H1 level. Normally we take the three highest ‘A’ level grades offered, however further consideration may be given to additional academic achievement.

RM90k per year is rather okay price, last time my colleague who sent her daughter to UK to study prepared budget of half a million SGD to study all the way from A level to complete medicine there, some more sold off her merc and downgrade to taking bus all for this study. Now with this university so near, such devoted parents got a much less costly option to consider. New castle is UK university, so should be the same degree as study in UK right?!

 

[ginfreely]

Greetings all, I have been following this thread from the beginning, and kudos and thanks to all those who've learnt and shared selflessly. The appeal of moving to JB is clear to all, and with limited downsides, the pros seem to outweigh the cons.

However, I'd like to ask an interesting hypothetical question, which I am not sure has been asked before, but here goes:

If you could afford to stay in Singapore, would you still move to Johor?

When I say "could afford" I mean you can pay up your primary residence (whatever type, before retirement) and have enough income to cover your needs, plus you project that retirement by a decent age is still achievable.

I hope those who've made the move or are considering the move, can shed some light as to how they might think, assuming they could achieve financial independence in Singapore. In other words, would the scale still tip in the same direction.

Any replies are much appreciated, and many thanks in advance.

Pleb.

Hypothetical questions are not welcome! Haha, no lah just joking...okay, the answer for me is no..I admit I'm pushed there simply by the escalating private property prices in Singapore and HDB policy changes last year. I'm not moving there for landed, big space or greenery, just a lower cost alternative for retirement.

Basically the FT influx created by PAP really worried me and I fear the need to work in menial jobs in my twilight years! This worry is bigger than the worry over crime in JB for me and that's why I took the plunge!

 

[InformedHH]

U R reinforcing the belief that only LOSERS move to JB.

Hypothetical questions are not welcome! Haha, no lah just joking...okay, the answer for me is no..I admit I'm pushed there simply by the escalating private property prices in Singapore and HDB policy changes last year. I'm not moving there for landed, big space or greenery, just a lower cost alternative for retirement.

Basically the FT influx created by PAP really worried me and I fear the need to work in menial jobs in my twilight years! This worry is bigger than the worry over crime in JB for me and that's why I took the plunge!