Hi All,

I’ve been browsing Lowyat Forum on and off for the past decade or so and I’ve seen a lot of threads every now and then that centres around the topic of moving to Australia. There’s a lot of good information on here, but there’s also an equal amount of misconceptions about living and working in the land down under.

One saying that I’ve come across a lot which stands true is that the grass is not always greener on the other side, and this is something that I’ve always kept at the back of my mind when I was planning the big move. I’ve seen many migrants struggling as they did not deliberate enough when making the decision to uproot their established lives in Malaysia to give what they perceive as the land of opportunity a go.

I have a bit of time to spare over the next week, so I’d be happy to shed light on and provide some first-hand insights into moving, living and working in Australia. Some context about myself to kick start the AMA:

- I obtained my Australian permanent resident visa prior to the COVID pandemic
- I moved early 2022 at the tail-end of COVID border restrictions
- I am English-educated while my wife is Chinese-educated
- My wife and I are in our early 30s
- We are both currently working in our respective industries, either at the same level or higher that the jobs we had prior to leaving Malaysia
- We had a combined monthly salary of approximately RM35k per month in Malaysia with our house and cars paid off, which made the decision to move even more difficult

Feel free to ask me anything and I will endeavour to provide a candid answer based on my personal experience. 

If you take your time and read though he already mentioned engineering.

I wouldn’t say successful, rather my life has stabilised following the big move.

Oil and gas industry - engineering (pick one - process/mechanical/structural/electrical/controls)

i am a huge advocate for hard work, but we have to admit

luck is a huge part whether a person is b40 or t20, i agree.

you choose the right career, born in the right family, mix with the right people, all stars aligned.

some struggle their whole life and never lucky.

i consider myself blessed. born a b40, never able to study overseas but now working overseas.

Yep, work life balance is incredibly important for me. Not saying Singapore isn’t great - it really depends on what you want in life. Singapore is a tax haven for the rich and high income families, and their culture is very close to ours which does help settling in much easier. Not to mention it’s close proximity to Malaysia as well. However, my priorities lie elsewhere where Australia fares much better.

TS stuck in South Australia ka?

no wonder nothing to do after 5pm....