Moving to Malaysia (for Singaporeans)

Some notes.

There is no Swiss Army knife app that does everything (wayfinding + schedules + arrival times) well without having some kind of catch.

A mix of the information/facilities below need to be used to find the best route.

• RapidKL Integrated Transit Map

• Google Maps
  • Good:
    • Wayfinding (directions)
  • Bad:
    • Live arrival times are not accurate
    • Scheduled departure times are not accurate or missing entirely
• Moovit (App Store/Play Store)
  • Good:
    • Live arrival times are accurate (±1-3 min)
    • Scheduled departure times
  • Bad:
    • Constant and annoying full-screen advertisements (or monthly subscription)
    • Live bus location is behind monthly subscription paywall
• MyRapid PULSE (App Store/Play Store)
  • Good:
    • Live arrival times are accurate (±1-3 min)
    • Scheduled departure times
  • Bad:
    • Wayfinding (directions)

• GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) API (based on Google GTFS)
  • GTFS Static (scheduled departures)
  • GTFS Realtime (trip information and position - GPS, odometer, stops etc.)

Here are some worst-case scenarios to plan for (or at least, to soften your misery coming from Singaporean expectations).

• KTM/KTM Komuter
  • Up to 1 hour off-schedule
  • Sometimes trips go missing due to faulty rolling stock, etc.
• RapidKL Bus
  • Up to 20 minutes off-schedule during peak hour jams (especially on rainy days)
  • Use PULSE or Moovit app to check live arrival times
    • Note that only green/orange/red-colored arrival times are live data on Moovit; white-colored arrival times on Moovit are scheduled thus could be up to 20 minutes inaccurate
  • There is only 1 Touch-n-Go reader at either door, and it is slow and unreliable
  • You can actually board or alight from either door (but inform the bus captain if you are contra to passenger flow)
  • Passengers do not move to the rear and bus captains rarely try to manage crowds
  • Buses only stop at bus stops (taxi stands look very similar to bus stops but buses will not stop for you there)
  • You must step out and flag the bus, or it will probably bypass the stop

Most of Malaysia, even in urban centers like the greater Klang Valley, is inaccessible without driving a car.

Without a car, you are definitely missing out on a large part of Malaysian life.

• Grab
• Full list of licensed E-Hailing platforms

Metered taxis are known to overcharge or not honor the meter price, so avoid them unless you agreed on the price upfront.

• SOCAR

• Mudah Used Cars

Prerequisites/procedure for transferring ownership:

• JPJ Geran (Grant) - Original copy
  • Matching the current owner's name and ID
  • Matching the current vehicle's:
    • Registration (license plate)
    • Chassis VIN
    • Engine serial number and capacity
    • Make and model
• Puspakom Borang B5 (Form B5)
  • Obtain one by booking a mobile Puspakom appointment and it is valid for 60 days
  • Payment(s): RM 30 fee
  • Three items will be inspected:
    • Identification: Confirm the originality of the vehicle by identifying the registration, chassis and engine numbers
    • Tinted Glass: Measure the visible light transmittance (VLT) rating of windscreens and glasses (you may remove the tinting film on the spot for any windows that have failed the VLT test)
    • Cut and Joint: Examine if there is any element of cut and joint on a vehicle (i.e. halfcut restorations)
  • Valid Car Insurance
    • At least third-party coverage
    • Dates must align with the new road tax date i.e. starting from the day of transfer + at least 365 days
    • Sort this out before heading to JPJ/UTC JPJ Counter and ensure the insurance agent/company has uploaded the insurance to JPJ's online backend
    • Make sure your insurance agent is contactable and available during your visit to JPJ so they can make amendments to the coverage period and information in case JPJ finds any mismatch; any upload they do will be reflected in realtime in the JPJ system
  • Ownership Transfer at JPJ
    • You must have all the above documents
    • Borang JPJK3 (Form JPJK3) - JPJ will provide this form but you can also download Borang JPJK3 from here
    • Previous and new owner must have ID (MyKAD for Malaysians or passport for foreigners)
    • Payment(s): RM 100 (transfer fee, varies) + 6 months or 12 months of road tax
    • Once completed, you will

Price to performance (コスパ) is better than Singapore in general. I was highly recommended CelcomDigi and signed up for the 5G 120 Unlimited plan, here are Celcom's Postpaid 5G plans.

You need at least a bank account and Touch-n-Go eWallet.

• Maybank - prerequisites for opening account:
  • Passport with visa/employment pass sticker (employment pass letter is not accepted)
  • RM250 for first deposit (can be withdrawn later)

• TNG eWallet
• Link all your physical Touch-n-Go cards
  • View live balance(s)
  • Block and recover balance of lost card(s)
  • Reload Touch-n-Go NFC cards (the light pink card)
  • Direct debit from TNG eWallet for tolls and some carparks
• RFID tags for RFID toll payment
• TNG QR payment