The worries of the rich are quite different from the worries of others I see, haha. It's always good to not over-extend if possible. I'll worry about ever getting to get that stage I suppose, and hopefully hit the lotto along the way.

That's a good goal to have and I support that, but for me o have a happy life I need to have enough money to die comfortably, hahaha.

Eventually as I get older I will only have a younger brother back in Msia who was doing quite well for himself until the virus hit. I'm sure he'll perservere and I don't need to worry about providing any support for now

I think frugal people are those who have learnt how to save money and expand it, so all the better for you. The battle with lacking ambition and liking money is my dilemma.


https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-22/c...242?pfmredir=sm

It looks like NSW will also be going into lockdown soon enough, with only essentials staying open. Hopefully the decision to not stock up to 6 (lol) months won't bite me in the arse.

I found this via random googling and am not sure if this will still apply now: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/...t-control-order

3. Who will be allowed to fly out of Malaysia?

A: • Malaysian citizens and Permanent Residents are not allowed to travel abroad for holidays during this period.

• Malaysian Diplomats serving abroad are allowed to leave the country.

• Malaysian citizens and Permanent Residents holding work permit from the third countries who wish to return to their place of work will be allowed to do so BUT may not re-enter before March 31. You will be required to produce the necessary documents at the point of departure.

• All visitors and foreign nationals are allowed to leave the country and shall not enter until further notice.

Hope it helps and good luck.

Hope everyone is doing well, it looks like the situation here (in Sydney) is loosening up a little. I saw loads of people in the shopping mall queueing up to go into Woolies last Sat.

WA has also announced lockdown easing which looks positive for the country.

Still find it amazing that it's considered so drastic. I was practising my own version of social distancing since my time in Msia.I quite enjoy it when strangers keep their distance from me, especially those who don't quite understand the concept of personal space.

It's easy, I'm sure we can all adapt to it without issues.

Heya all, looks like this thread is quiet again.

I have a simple question, my visa renewal is coming up, and I understand that will change it to a RRV. In this case, will my existing visa requirements still apply?

I was state sponsored by NSW and therefore obliged to work in this state, though I'm thinking Brisbane might be a cheaper place to live in eventually.

Hope everyone is keeping safe with the current spike in covid cases.

Nope, I studied and graduated all the way in Msia. It was a bit too expensive for my family to afford me studying overseas.


Got it, thanks for the info fellas. Guess i'm done with my obligations to NSW, lol. I did hear from people that it'll be hard to renew the visa if I'm state sponsored but am not actively working there.

@Gary - Yeah, makes plenty of sense. I'm hoping to be able to go back next year for my brother's wedding, but probably will not go if I have to be quarantined in both countries (especially the 3k quarantine cost here).

The most recent case of the covid spread in NSW was in bankstown and also the rookwood cemetary, which is right next door to me.

When I applied for PR years ago, studying and graduating in Aus is definitely a plus as it contributes to your overall points. I don't think where one study in Aus matters, but I've not been keeping up with the new rules/policies for now. I'm just saving up some money to eventually bring my mother over to Aus.

Yeah, I'm quite thankful to have a job right now which I can maintain working from home, but most IT related jobs are like that nowadays anyway - it will be a rough time for a lot of people.

I don't think a vaccine can be developed so soon, it'll probably take a much longer time for its development. Also I think it's prone to mutations like other similar forms of this virus making it harder, but that's just my opinion. Things may get a bit worse before it gets better - best be more savvy with money and careful with the surroundings for a bit.

It's a great way to discourage people to travel with the 2 weeks (expensive) quarantine, but doesn't work against those willing to pay and have the time to wait. I think most airlines won't be able to last till end the end of the year if the lockdown continues unless there's a bailout.

If you can work from home too, then just go for it, which is far better than retirement unless you have so much planned out already. A lot of research has shown that many older folks who worked all their lives do not live long after retirement as they probably do not have a motivational factor behind them anymore. Touch wood, not saying it'll happen to anyone here - but just something to point out I think.

So how are your possible plans to return to Msia?

Yeah I was slightly burnt out by my old job too, boss used to demand 10-12 hours from us and could call us in on weekends when something occurred. I'm pretty content with a simple job which I can solve within a few days rather than thinking about programs up to the point I fall asleep. Though I must say the satisfaction from that was really good - although it was very rare.

I guess I find work necessary cuz it facilitates my lifestlye and things may change if I do obtain financial independence.

I dislike MAS as they've destroyed 2 of my luggage in the past and gave me food poisoning on my first flight to Aus. I rather put up with Airasia than fly with MAS if I can help it.

Also I probably need to expand my bucket list, as there's only a few things on the list right now.

Would the requirement renew itself after the initial 5 years is over? So for every 2 out of 5 years period, one has to be in Aus?

Does the RRV begin from the date its granted? does it in anyway relate to the 5 years requirement of the PR?

Also reading this thread people really love their travelling - friend invited me for a local trip to Snowy mountains skiing which I was keen on but am unable to make it - for a weekend trip it cost a surprising amount and I was a bit reluctant in regards to the pricing.

Yeah, I'll go at least once and try to enjoy it while I still can. One way is to compare it to SCUBA diving I guess, that is also pretty expensive too. Luckily my hobbies are mostly stay at home types and the occasional walks to waterfalls/tracks.

It's not too cold this winter as we're not staying in the fibre board place we used to rent in Chester Hill. Staying in a bricked up place sure makes a lot of difference. With our old funky air conditioner (due to be changed I think) turned on, the whole place is pretty warm and bearable for me. I really like it when it's between 10 - 20'c as I sleep better too. Knees do sometimes ache a little occasionally.

I'll be happy for Spring/Summer too and it should help improve the Covid situation a little - though not for my colleague whose allergies pop up every spring with rashes all over his body. Has anyone here ever developed that form of allergy here or kids getting a new-non inherited allergy?

Hopefully if I have kids they won't inherit all my existing allergies and tendencies to develop new ones.

Nah we rarely use air-conditioning unless we have guests over. Wife is using the small heater fan for herself and I'm fine as is with just extra padding as this place is probably half as cold as my previous.

On the plus side, it's getting a fair bit warmer now and things should be looking better for everyone unhappy being stuck at home. With spring and summer on the way the Covid 19 situation should improve for everyone too.

The wife is already making me take walks around the neighbourhood though I still think it's a bit too chilly. Last weekend we went to Flemington station to buy some dim sum - which was pretty good. Then a few days ago news about some flemington market worker being hit with Covid surfaced - those who were at Flemington on the 8th should do the test & got myself slightly worried now:

"A case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in a person who worked at the market while infectious on Sunday, 9 August."


Thanks for the that, I found out after more reading on the topic after I posted. Good to know though, I'll have to apply for it next month so didn't quite research it until recently.

We would like to go to Chinatown again to have some nice food but probably going to avoid slightly more crowded places for now till this blows over. I happily avoid overly crowded places/eateries thanks to the pick pockets back in Msia which I encountered a fair number of times during my college days.


Another Msian redditor living a few suburbs way said he's out of a job for now, as a freeelancer, not too sure about the work. Myself and wife work primarily on laptops - mine with the exceptions of doing on-site testing/training/presentations occasionally. So we're pretty alright, not financially impacted for now and are pretty lucky I guess. Was always considering taking up some simple onsite part time job during the weekends but that's on hold now.

Might be a silver lining being unable to return to Melbourne with the number of cases there - though I think its manageable provided people don't go out of their way to spread it like the recent news in Perth.
So are you stuck in Msia right now?

So true, but there are so many factors that can affect this it can be hard for some to save so easily. With my RM2.2k starting salary back in Msia, I saved 0 for about 3 years due to different obligations and some fun (cyber cafe and food trips). Not only that, social media messes with your impression of things too - see (wealthy?) friends/family/influencers spend their money like crazy and it will slowly creep into your life if you're not stingy enough. Once a person have enough disposable income and is affected by this they start buying - credit cards and afterpay make things seem so affordable with delayed payments until it's too late, racking up a major debt one can't repay.

I know of people whom family had complained about when they were saving up for a house but other family members were pressuring them to go on trips together. It ain't always easy - save money and lose some relationship points, or vice versa.


I think this will definitely affect a fair number of people, but I believe a lot more will be unaffected or unrepentant.

You hear news all over the world about government providing help to those who lost their jobs. Then you hear news about people complaining their employers being given a grant and keeping them employed: because they receive more money from the government support than being paid on the job. I personally think more people like this will appear given how fragile some of our everyday lives can be. With the job insecurity they're gonna do everything they can to latch on to something that can provide them money.

If you know where you're headed (also a few people here have clarified you don't necessarily have to find a job to the state they assign you to. Use seek.com.au (or similar sites) to check available jobs - know what to expect in terms of available IT jobs for the specific skill. Teaching jobs may require more certification/working with children checks. I personally did not have any luck with interviews for any IT jobs I applied for - from entry level roles to senior programmer. My wife found a job and recommended me to a recruiter, which helped me land my first data entry job 6 months after our move to Aus. That job paid about 3.3k/month - about minimum wage.

While I think you are right to worry about employers that may take advantage of you that will pay you the lowest they can - you can probably worry about that if you're coming over with a big capital that can last you a year or so here with all your monthly expenses. We were going through our reserves (we could only last close to a year for wife + myself) and at 6 months I was happy having a part time job with a shopfitter doing some computer related work + heavy lifting and on-site assistance with installation of lights/etc.

A 2019 article states this:People in the very top income bracket (as measured by the census) earn at least $156,000 a year — or $3,000 a week — before tax. At census time, there were about 596,531 people in Australia above that income level — or 3.8 per cent of income earners." If I was being realistic, unless the skill is highly in demand, its quite unlikely to see a new migrant earn that much - unless you're coming over with a job offer. That's my personal opinion, and happy to be wrong about it. I think to be pragmatic about things, don't expect to find a job (that you would want) immediately and persevere through things for a short period of time - there are still recruiters calling me on and off, but I would think that its currently the employer's market with many people being laid off.

If you want to find a place with good school, expect to pay slightly more expensive rent as I believe schools require you to have an address in its catchment area - not sure if this is the case in other cities/states though. Good luck with your move!

I'm learning what I can about cyber security too but am having some hurdles picking it up myself and the prerequisites as I have no prior experience. Also as Gary as mentioned, this is in demand. Also, there are always jobs in the defense sector which is constantly advertised to me, like this: https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/jobs/army/cyber-analyst

They usually require a citizenship, but they'll hire a PR who can fulfill their criteria - which may also require one to get a citizenship eventually which in something to consider. Ideally, if someone local can recommend your husband - there may be a higher chance of getting the interview. Connections help a lot + prior basic working experience like mine in unrelated fields.

I've lived for about 6-8 months on the 9th floor of an apartment - and I prefer the silence there over the noise in my current 1st floor apartment located beside a really busy roadto the point I'm thinking about changing the windows to a noise reduction option. You can always rent a landed property, but its more expensive in safer/better/closer to city suburbs.


Starting to wonder if I will start feeling what feeling what you do about staying at home eventually since I'm always content being at home. I do my exercise at home and hobbies are home related too - so far I can't see myself feeling depressed being at home unless I'm trapped in it, being forced to do things I do not wish to. Why not just use the money on travelling to get yourself a heater to keep yourself warm and happy through out the winter if you're forced to remain here anyway?

I went out at noon for a short while yesterday - and even while being under the sun all I could feel was the cold breeze. I love a good breeze but not when its accompanied with a freezing effect. My place is south facing, but its still pretty bright and windy, just lack of sunlight on the balcony - so it does get pretty cold when the winds start howling too.

Both wife and myself got our jobs after working casual jobs and was recognised/recommended by colleagues in position to do so. I'm totally in agreement that connections that'll help you bypass the 'local experience' requirement which is the fastest way to reach better paying jobs. Also I think job hopping is not a great move now, as if you're terminated during probation period it'll be harder to find another job to quickly cover your expenses - happened to a few friends of colleagues. Take a chance at your own risk I suppose.

Safety of high rise/landed property depends on the suburbs - and in some you feel a clear difference not only in safety but sometimes racial discrimination too. Robberies will take place everywhere but some suburbs will have less of this. I notice people are quite lax sometimes (occasionally myself) as we hold the door/gate open for strangers to come in to the apartment compound at times. Newer building may have better security but if anyone intends on breaking in, it's definitely not impossible, regardless of the general location safety. That being said, some suburbs are clearly better than others overall in safety + desirability.

Some jobs allow you to finish on time, some don't. My wife's first job required her to work crazy hours during financial month ends, 8am -> 2/3am sometimes (company has issues + politics + reliable staff). She then applied for a different role internally as she was convinced by the team lead support and guidance will be provided. Transfer occurred and due to politics, her old boss is currently her new boss and they're both clueless about the job. Team lead who recruited her had his team provide the minimum knowledge transfer and she now has to pick up everything else herself. She has been working from 9 -> 12am consistently. An outlier, definitely, but can happen. I work from 8 -> 4pm daily. Occasionally I work for a few hours on weekends + 2-3 hours extra on weekdays but it's uncommon. I'm quite sick of working 9/10+ hours daily (and sometimes whole weekends) back in my old Msian job and am quite happy where I am, albeit boring work scope. Your mileage may vary.

If my work involved playing games or designing them perhaps I would say the same thing. I am on the computer almost all day long too as I generally enjoy being on the computer. We've been in Aus since March 2017 - I'd say we adapted alright but we're more introverted and have few friends but as long as we're happy I think that's fine.

No kids yet, we are thinking about one next year but worried about how Covid may affect things. My company made redundant every single staff who were on maternity leave. Only 1 came back as her supervisor left. While wife is quite valued in the company and there are lots of female team leads which I suspect will influence things somewhat - not 100% sure the same thing won't happen to her. I think she deserves a break from her job for a while.


I personally hate the race based politics and the fact non-bumis will always be 2nd hand citizens. It also feels like crap when a certain portion of the population are given better treatment not due to merits but luck of birth. If one can exploit it well, they'll be set for life.
It's not perfect anywhere, sure - but I'd rather be a second class citizen elsewhere earning a stronger currency and living a (possibly) better life elsewhere. There's tensions with China + America, but at least there's no large scale corruption all the way to the top office. Not to mention if anyone ticks of the royals they can get into trouble without any way solving the situation amicably. I personally think Malaysia has a much better long term future compared to Aus if it can get on par with Singapore - but maybe not in my lifetime.

I think I'm more moderate-conservative while my peers back in Msia are a lot more liberal. We have a surprising difference in political views - they being stuck in a highly conservative environment probably encourages them, but I prefer the middle ground. Like the recent BLM rallies I find myself opposing it whereas they are highly in support of it. We're plenty critical of each other, and I think the parents upbringing of children matters more than the education provided - I'm an example of a crap student in school, always top 10 last place in class and terrible at memorizing stuff I don't have an interest in. Due to the job of choice, I'm lucky to be able to migrate over to Aus.

Weather's been a lot better lately, like the cool temperatures of Cameron Highlands. It's gonna be 28'c in the west which I'm sure my wife will appreciate.

In a small speedboat (?) like that you probably wouldn't travel too far out to sea and should be relatively safe as long someone is able to read the weather. My brother + father enjoys fishing (I missed out on that gene) and are always out in slightly bigger boats fishing. I've been through some storms on fishing/dive boat and yes - it's quite possible to lose your life if you're careless when the storm hits.