In April of 2007 my wife and I spent two weeks in Malaysia in order to investigate the potential for an offshore retirement in that part of the world.  Malaysia promotes the MM2H (My Malaysia 2nd Home) program which provides substantial incentives for foreigners to relocate or establish a 2nd residence in Malaysia.  The various, significant tax advantages and low real estate prices provided more than sufficient incentive for our visit.  Four days of the visit were spent in Kuala Lumpur, an interesting, clean and modern city but our primary focus was to be the city of Kuching in Sarawak.

Kuching location ("A") in Sarawak

Geography

Sarawak is a Malaysian state located in the northwest of the island of Borneo.  It is one of the two states that make up East Malaysia. Sarawak and Sabah are separated from West Malaysia (Malaysian Peninsula) by the South China Sea at a distance of about 600 km.  With an area of 124,449 sq km, Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia, making up some 37.5% of the country’s total area.  The state is bounded to the north and northwest by the South China Sea, the northeast by Sabah and Brunei Darussalam, and to the south by Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Kuching Riverwalk & Hilton

Kuching is the seat of government for modern Sarawak and is home to some 458,300 people making it the highest populated city in Sarawak and the 7th highest populated city in Malaysia.  It’s a thriving, safe and culturally interesting city.  In addition, the cost of living is terribly attractive.

Culture

Sarawak is home to 28 ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle.  The Iban form the major ethnic group in this land comprising about 30 per cent of the total population according to the year 2000 census. The Chinese who generally live in the cities are the second largest group at 26.7 per cent, followed by the Bidayuh, Melanau and other native tribes of Sarawak. The Malays also constitute a large portion (23 per cent) of the population as well. They are mainly concentrated along the coast. Sarawakians practice a variety of religions, including Islam, Christianity, Chinese folk religion (a fusion of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and ancestor worship), Bahá’i and animism.

Source: Useekthem.com

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