no diving, wanna beach and a good resort.... Mataking Island with permits to Sipadan island too. but not sure if they allow snorkelers for Sipadan... so plz check with them.

If Sipadan island s not a must, I will opt for Lankayan island thru Sandakan Sabah for a more private, romantic island trip.

Mabul and kapalai you can forget about the beach.

Next options are pom pom or mataking

Well, you can get everything from Head to toe about scuba diving, trips, equipment, knowledge, course and also free gift...

Ard RM1500, after group discount, for 3d2n with 5 dives and unlimited house reefs

Frens (Husband n Wife) who visited 2 maldives islands, commented that Lankayan island is more harmony and relax, Maldives resorts are more luxury and have better facilities...

Oya, Lankayan resort and Kapalai resort share same owner, their chalets n restaurant also have many similarities.
From my experience with mide last year, YES! mostly if not all did offer better price.

Kapalai, Seaventure, Scuba junkie, Borneo divers, Borneo Global were there....
agree 
I had a quatation for that 1-2 week back 

Nice to stay... Spacious room with 3 single bed for 2 of us! Comfy bed, well function AC, separated bath and toilet area which were clean but the shower head and handles were rusty.

I was there last January and alive, I think should be safe    ... what happen to pulau gaya?

Water there taste abit salty... the drinking water provided s ok or maybe a few large bottle of mineral water for backup. they do have beer and soft drink on ur bill but no snack or chips.....
yes... lovely and very peaceful island... u can walk 1 round in 30-45min oni

In malaysia water u dont really need a wet suit. Go for your OW first than only decide if ur scared of the cold. When u take ur OW they includes equipment rental also.

Erm.. It depends on how much u care.. Cos if u think about it too much u might have to buy everything. Reg can have saliva, magi mee, vomit, fungus, etc etc inside. Wetsuit ppl pee n some poo n sweat in.. Mask ppl's snot is inside.. Bcd might not be old n faulty..

All depends on how u think n feel about it.. I try not to think about it   

I dive with a rashguard only. Very comfortable and not feeling cold at all.

My beginner gear for ur reference:
Cheapo ogival mask rm80
Cressi reaction pro fin full foot rm150 mide promo
Mares rashguard rm75 mide promo
Mares puck pro dive comp rm750.

Depends on what brand u wanna buy lor..
Some of us like to buy from overseas cos if u buy a few items price can be cheaper than buy in malaysia    spoil malaysia market
Some items if u buy 1 item also cheaper than price u buy from shops evan after including shipping.

Dive comp important.. Who wan buy mine?? Cheaper than dive shop 

When you do your OW course, all the rental equipment are included in the package. You can either rent a wetsuit from the dive center or invest in your own. However, most of us do not wear wetsuit when diving locally, usually a rash guard + board shorts is good enough.
Most dive shops actually sell their package and courses more. After some time, I notice all more or less the same.
We also get our equipment from overseas or during MIDE, which are often much cheaper. There's no 'top 3' shops to buy equipment, sometimes we meet the right sales person and all is good, but sometimes we don't have a good first impression on the shop and swear not to go back there. So it's really hard to say which are the best. The best way is for you to take some time and pay a visit to the few dive shops accessible to you.

What I can do to the first page is to roughly list down what are the brands that each of the dive center usually carries.
For Asian faces, most of us find lots of mask don't fit us. I personally find that Tusa mask will fit our face nicely. If you haven't tried Tusa, then you should check it out. Sun Paradise+Dive/Global Scuba (1U or Fahrenheit88) carries a wide range of Tusa equipments. Actually all mask also you can equalize, it's just whether it's easier or harder to equalize.

Rental equipment at dive center are usually either in package or by individual equipment.
Without equipment usually means you will be using their tank and weights + weight belt.
With equipment usually means BCD, reg, fins, mask, wetsuit, weights, weight belt and tank.
Dive comp is always additional. So it's a good idea to get your own dive comp.

One of the websites recommended by fellow member Putraskyline is Diving Express based in HK. There are also other websites that ship internationally.

As for your gf feeling cold, just get her a full length wetsuit and a long sleeve rash guard. She can wear the rash guard over her swimsuit then the wetsuit on the outside. She should be feeling quite comfortable that way already.

Actually you can skip the snorkel if your comfortable with wave hitting your face, normally you will just use the 2nd stage. My Snorkel been sit ther since I finish my ow.
IM using mares thermo guard which similar to rash guard but got 0.5 of thin rubber like material and I don't even feel cold in 28/29 °c waters. If your into photography, better take full length wetsuit.
Dive com will cause extra and not all dive centre rent them. Better get yours if your into diving cause the dive com will personalise to your dive profile. Oso act as your log book.