You should open Cimb fastsaver.  1% for first SGD50k. Also it's free as there's no min amount.
Good luck with ASX as most broker need you to have AU address,  phone no. Believed me, I have searched. You can open without those but you need to be there in person.

Hehe,... yeah, right also,.. even if higher cost, so what,... hehe,.... BUT, as experience picks up and wishing to earn more, then improve-lor,.. but if still wishes to stay the same also, nobody stops you.

Frankly, if everybody goes to the other side to open accounts, three effects will surface :-

1) brokers in Msia cannot earn the higher fees already.
2) the other side will start to clamp down, and become more aware of what the foreigners are doing,... to me, this is not very good, with all the protectionism starting to happen around the world.
3) there might be abuse by Msians, which will cause the other side to clamp down on Msians,... a good eg would be after the 1XXB event, the MAS is very alert of Msians. No tks to 'that fella-lar',...
Hence, in conclusion, it's good that some investors continue to use local platforms to buy international shares. Let's not have everybody go to the other side. Spoil the whole thing later.

Edited by adding the following :-

Going all the way has its fun too, as in experiencing new system, new culture and being able to attend AGMs (I don't think anyone who buys locally is allowed to go for AGMs even if he asks to,... please correct me if I'm wrong here).

Meeting new friends and investors from the other side, networking, etc, etc,... it's a whole new ball game,... just like going somewhere else to work on assignment or applying for a job in another country. Except for this one, you need to put money in.

You will create a whole new set of paradigms in life. YOU get to interact with their gov't, their regulators, their investor associations,...No end to it all,.... 

Bought them over the years with some savings, kinda like Fix Deposits, though i don't really monitor them much.
it's basically 100% MREITs, i not familiar with the stock market to buy into other stocks so I don't dare go there, I understand REITs are all property related, generally low risk, don't fluctuate much and rely on dividends payouts. I myself invest in real estate as well, so it's a familiar field for me.

the ones that aren't in bad shape are IGB, KLCC, PAVREIT, SUNREIT and YTL. These ones has been very strong for a very long time, though i remember IGB having a bad time during its first years.

I basically top up on some reits if I have some excess savings.

will this affect PavREIT positively??

Did you forget about Pavillion? I think they are doing Good.

Is it?? I never been there. But I think if got ppl go there then should be ok bah. Need to see their financial report lor like that.

With those occupancy rate and the below "forecast" Yield FY 2021, not my cup of tea    Somemore they are assuming on 100% payout rate.



SUNREIT?

Let's revisit at my initial writing since last year May 2020 :


My Sinkalan forecast DPU for FY20200 : 7.7sens
Actual DPU FY 2020 : 7.33 sens
To-date FY2021 DPU : 1.67 sens

SUNREIT's major property income is derived from Retail, and with all these never ending MCO CMCO RMCO FMCO, impact on retail sector is REAL and huge. 



I doubt SUNREIT is able to pay 7 sens this year....Now lets see the chart :



1.4x level seems a pretty strong support...If i place a bet invest now, most likely i am able to get 4 sens FY2021, which translate to 2.8% yield this year...at the same time, i'm "hoping" the situation will get better and DPU will normalise soon..worth the bet?

Another write up last time :


Yes with worldwide massive fiscal injection to fight covid and central banks shift towards more accommodative policies, low interest rate environment will continue..at least for a year or two.. Yield chasing pension funds and institutional funds still remain invested in REIT.

However, as a tiny retail investor, i will still ask myself whats my expectation to SUNREIT? recovery play? Dividend play? Is there any other options out there?

If i want to buy into a REIT, i aim to collect Rental from it....if i know most of tenants unable to pay me rental, or i have to subsidize their rent for the time being, why should i buy into it? Why now?

Perhaps you can take a look on ATRIUM...now trading at all time high..and there is a valid reasoning to support the rocketed price