Yes. If you use like Sunway money cost is I think fixed at RM1.00. But if you use like instarem, it's based on certain percentage. I have not test whether instarem cost is the same. This is because they are generally more expensive than other platform (I noticed it from last year)

Your choice. For me once I have minimum RM12k I convert and never look back.
You can consider using pseudo bond like stocks overseas to park money. One very good stock I use is parkway Life REIT. This is because IB does not give any good interest at all.

12k accumulate in versa Malaysia first.
Then only convert to SGD and out straight into IB.

The idea behind this is:
Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSAX) - USA equity (home equity)
America's equity represents roughly 50% of the weighted world market*.

Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund (VTIAX) - Excluding USA equity (outside home equity)
The other half of the equity pie: ex-USA market

Vanguard Total Bond Market Fund (VBTLX) - Bonds/Fixed income (Government security and/or corporate investment grade)
Treasury (US Gov bonds) or corporate bonds

*Based on rough 9:1 ratio of developed:emerging market weightage, with US weighing at 60% of developed market

Based on the basic building block:
1. Equity - Local
For Malaysians, our home equity represents less than 0.01% of the weighted world market*. Holding 0% is a valid possibility.

Choices - note: our local ETFs blow, so alternatively:
i. Stocks
If you have roughly 800k-900k to blow, you can buy all 30 shares from KLSE 30 and mimic their actual index weight
or
You can even buy equally top 4 or 5 of KLSE 30 since they represent 35%-40% weightage of the index

ii. Unit trust (including fixed price Amanah Saham)

I have some of both, and treat Amanah Saham as a separate no withdrawal till retired bucket.

2. Equity - International
The big ocean outside Malaysia. Holding 100% equity weight in world index is a possibility.

Choices:
i. Unit trust
ii. Foreign ETF

I personally went with developed world index, I have enough (or too much I feel) emerging market exposure via my local stocks + PRS (asia pac ex japan).

Personal punt - I also went with a little Singapore index, since I see Malaysia and Singapore as neighbouring residents of the same 'taman' but will always thrive/be the more successful of the two.

3. Fixed income
Now this one where we have advantage, because pension is not mandatory in the US. Malaysians may treat EPF as this pie - conventional accounts have guaranteed 2.5% annual returns and the value does not shrink during downturn.

Based on the above, one can also include Amanah Saham fixed price funds in the same category.

Choices:
i. EPF (self contribution up to 60k per calendar year)
ii. FDs (do try to shoot for promo rates only)
iii. Unit trust (including fixed price Amanah Saham)
iv. Directly held Malaysian Government Security (MGS)
v. Foreign ETF

I hold Islamic bond fund unit trust with a mix of MGS and investment grade corporate bonds. I'll likely glide a chunk of my international equity towards international corporate bonds later nearer to my retirement. I treat EPF as a separate no withdrawal till retired bucket.

tldr: Malaysians can probably just hold 1 world index fund via a foreign ETF like IWDA or VWRD and call it the day

Got IWDA. What do you want to know? It's boring, holds about 1,600 companies that cover 85% of market cap in developed world (23 countries).

Spread and volume is pretty sweet though compared to VWRA/D, ISAC, SWRD, LCWD

Spread, volume and none of the dodgy sounding emerging market countries. I have my exposure to emerging market via malaysia focus UT and asia pac PRS.

I think my PRS mandate of Asia Pac is good enough to cover Greater China i.e. inclusive of Hong Kong, Taiwan and some say Singapore

Half of IWDA is already CSPX. It's really up to one's bet if USA will continue to outperform the rest of the world, if you want to follow market cap weightage strictly then go for VWRD/A. Otherwise you tweak about and get more of different regions e.g. China/Europe/Japan by adding region/country specific ETF to the mix.

For me, my long term ETF before gliding to retirement is just IWDA (equity) and LQDA (bond)

search CSSPX in IBKR

Planning to put 50% of my portfolio into ETFs, with main focus on CSSPX, EIMI, VWRA, IWDA

Also planning to buy more growth stocks, such as ARKK, good idea?