Living in Johor, Working in Singapore

[Mad Scientist]

The best option is AA Foreign Driving Permit. Anyway to get a M'sia D/L , is easy. Far easier compare to SG

Except I hear the theory test for that is in Malay! Might be an issue for ummm, some.

And did some 'coffee' fix that ?? LOL

Actually it is easier to take it compare to paying coffee money. They do have special arrangement for foreigners. You can take it in English but it has to be at Bukit Jalil. I had my M'sia DL test done there. It was a breeze

[ecureilx]

Actually it is easier to take it compare to paying coffee money. They do have special arrangement for foreigners. You can take it in English but it has to be at Bukit Jalil. I had my M'sia DL test done there. It was a breeze

a silly question .. A Singapore PR, with a Singapore License, living in Malaysia, driving a Singapore Registered car, and driving to Singapore, does he need to convert to MY license ?

[the lynx]

Actually it is easier to take it compare to paying coffee money. They do have special arrangement for foreigners. You can take it in English but it has to be at Bukit Jalil. I had my M'sia DL test done there. It was a breeze

a silly question .. A Singapore PR, with a Singapore License, living in Malaysia, driving a Singapore Registered car, and driving to Singapore, does he need to convert to MY license ?

The only scenario I can imagine with this situation goes something like this:

A traffic police pulls you over in Malaysia. You wipe out your Singapore DL, that guy asks for SGD200 'to make things easier'.

Or

You wipe out your Malaysia DL and that guy asks for MYR50 instead.

[ecureilx]

Or

You wipe out your Malaysia DL and that guy asks for MYR50 instead.

Or .. speak in Melayu and berate him and get away ??

[Mad Scientist]

Actually it is easier to take it compare to paying coffee money. They do have special arrangement for foreigners. You can take it in English but it has to be at Bukit Jalil. I had my M'sia DL test done there. It was a breeze

a silly question .. A Singapore PR, with a Singapore License, living in Malaysia, driving a Singapore Registered car, and driving to Singapore, does he need to convert to MY license ?

Nope. the only advantage having M'sia D/L if you were like me where I tend to get alot of driving tickets every year. I mean alot on average RM 10K during my days running business there as time was very precious. You can get a discount if you settle all at once usually about 25 to 40% from original fine.
No coffee money as you can offset with company expenditure

[teck21]

No need to take exam. Depending on which category the issuing country belongs to, but most of first world countries and developing countries are exempted.

Refer to this list here http://www.mm2h.gov.my/pdf/mm2h11.pdf

Wonder why I never seen this or thought of it before even though it's perfectly logical that conversion is allowed.

Another easy way is just get an international licence I suppose.

[jdanthony77]

If anybody's interested to read about it, here's the link:
http://expatjohor.blogspot.com/

Thanks to OKLA for introducing me to the blog.

Looked at Horizon Hills, new highway opening up soon which would make the commute to the 2nd link easier. It's about 10-15 minutes away when following posted speed limits.

The houses up for rent are being grabbed fast, but I believe there are some new phases that will be occupant ready soon.

HH itself is divided into separate "precincts", I saw three and don't know how many others there are. Clubhouse is fab with lots of activities for the wife and son, methinks (yoga, taekwon-do, swimming lessons, etc.).

[teck21]

Hi jdanthony,

There are 2 other blogs that may interest you:

http://malaysia.curiouscatnetwork.com/ by John Hunter, and expat now settled in Johor.

and

http://horizonhills.wordpress.com/

The new highway you refer to I presume is the new Coastal Highway? It hasn't officially opened yet, but it's been used for a while. I use it all the time when I go there. And yes, it does make the travel time to Tuas approx 12-15minutes.

I can share some info on Horizon Hills. It has a total of 13 precincts (minus one for the clubhouse, so actually 12) of which 2 have been completed (in full or mostly) and are presently occupied.

By occupied I mean sold and possession handed over. Plenty of units have no one living in them. I think the 3 units next to the one I purchased have no one living in them, certainly not on a regular basis.

Currently the developer there is in the midst of selling, and getting ready to sell 2 other precincts (bungalows and link (ie terraces) houses) in addition to a condominium there that is halfway through construction and still selling as well.

There aren't any new phases that will be completed soon that are being sold by the developer actually. Almost all of them are years away from completion (the 2 precincts I refer to above are due for completion only from mid-2015). Almost everything you see that appears to be nearing completion is actually launches from some years back, and have been sold to buyers already.

There are a few such units, but only a handful.

The clubhouse gives me a measure of confidence about moving there. It was opened in 2007, and it still looks good and well run after nearly 5 years.

That is an eternity as far as projects in Malaysia go.

[balaratnam]

I think if you work near the "edges" its feasible

[jdanthony77]

Hello all!

Firstly, thanks a bunch for all the assistance and advice in this post. Just thought I'd share an update.

I've started work in Singapore and stay in HH. My office is close to the S. Buona Vista/Pasir Panjang junction.

I leave my house sometime between 7 and 730. Commute both ways takes between an hour (if I leave at 7) and an hour and a half (leaving at 730). Usually longer on Mondays. One day it took me 2 hours to get to work, but this was because of 2 separate accidents on the AYE.

On the days when I go in late or leave late, this commute is about 45 minutes (on the 2nd link, of course).

HH is a good place to live, quiet with amenities (shopping mall, coffee shops, laundrette, Giant, Jusco, McDonalds, couple of bars) within a 5 minute drive. My retriever is enjoying the space.

THe wifey and son haven't moved down south yet, when they do I'll have to sort out the LTVP and stuff.

All-in-all, it's a pleasant enough arrangement working in SG and living here!

[papajoyjoy]

hi jdanthony77,

I am looking for carpool from Horizon Hills to Toa Payoh.
Working hours 8:30am to 6pm.
I can probably alight at Buana Vista MRT.
Do you think we can carpool?

[offshoreoildude]

What about security? I've heard that BHI pulled all their expats out of JB after incessant burglaries.

[S.wilson]

Hi, could you please help us.

I'm Indonesian ( holding DP in singapore) , my husband British ( EP pass in SG) and our boy on DP pass too.. We bought a house in Leisure Farm, and soon it will hand over keys.

Could you please please help us understand what we need to know and do, so far here's my list of question.

1. What passes do you need in order to commute from JB to Singapore, and how best to acquire them? Could you recomended any agent who can help ?
2. Can you transfer your Indonesian domestic helper from Singapore to Malaysia, and what is the process to do so?
3. Can you hire a car that you can drive in both Singapore and Malaysia?
4. How can you buy / hire a Malaysian car? Can you get finance on a Malaysian car?
5. Any recomended removal in Johor ? That we can use transfer our stuff ? Also applying all the paper work they need, so we won't pay tax or duty of our belongings ?

[zzm9980]

Hi, could you please help us.

I'm Indonesian ( holding DP in singapore) , my husband British ( EP pass in SG) and our boy on DP pass too.. We bought a house in Leisure Farm, and soon it will hand over keys.

Could you please please help us understand what we need to know and do, so far here's my list of question.

1. What passes do you need in order to commute from JB to Singapore, and how best to acquire them? Could you recomended any agent who can help ?
2. Can you transfer your Indonesian domestic helper from Singapore to Malaysia, and what is the process to do so?
3. Can you hire a car that you can drive in both Singapore and Malaysia?
4. How can you buy / hire a Malaysian car? Can you get finance on a Malaysian car?
5. Any recomended removal in Johor ? That we can use transfer our stuff ? Also applying all the paper work they need, so we won't pay tax or duty of our belongings ?

I'm a bit amused that you purchased a house without at least first getting answers to your first question.

From an older thread: enroll your child into an International School in JB. Get his student visa, and then you and your husband can apply for parental/guardian visas.

[the lynx]

Hi, could you please help us.

I'm Indonesian ( holding DP in singapore) , my husband British ( EP pass in SG) and our boy on DP pass too.. We bought a house in Leisure Farm, and soon it will hand over keys.

Could you please please help us understand what we need to know and do, so far here's my list of question.

1. What passes do you need in order to commute from JB to Singapore, and how best to acquire them? Could you recomended any agent who can help ?

Google "Malaysia My Second Home" (MM2H) both in this forum and on the internet. This scheme allows foreigners to take up residency in Malaysia, regardless where they work. And they have a list of agents.

2. Can you transfer your Indonesian domestic helper from Singapore to Malaysia, and what is the process to do so?

Yes. Google "transfer maid" in this forum. It has been discussed before. By the way, you would need the maid agency in both Singapore and Malaysia to sort it out for you, with fees of course.

3. Can you hire a car that you can drive in both Singapore and Malaysia?

As long as your husband remains in EP, he can drive a Malaysian car into Singapore. He needs to get Autopass card (bought in Singapore) to pay for all the ERP charges and electronic parking gantry. He would pay each time he enters Singapore and pay again when he leaves. Google "Autopass" and also Malaysian car ownership. Also Google about foreigner driving in Singapore Traffic Police's website to understand the conditions for foreigners driving in Singapore. I am not sure if he needs to convert to Singapore driving license (you need to convert after 'residing' in Singapore for 12 months) or Malaysian driving license in your case. Not sure if International Driving Permit is an option.

Malaysian cars are much much cheaper

4. How can you buy / hire a Malaysian car? Can you get finance on a Malaysian car?

Same as how you buy a car in your home country. Walk into the auto dealer shop, pick a car and work out the paper work and financing. Foreigners do not have full car financing in Malaysia like locals but I suppose you could take a loan. MM2H website has info about car ownership for foreigners.

5. Any recomended removal in Johor ? That we can use transfer our stuff ? Also applying all the paper work they need, so we won't pay tax or duty of our belongings ?

Sorry. No experience. But the rule applies, you get what you pay for. Asian Tigers, Crowne and other removals in Singapore have been discussed in length in this forum. Use the search function in forum.