Bringing few musical instruments and PA system to Malaysia

the lynx · Post by **the lynx** » Mon, 04 Jun 2012 3:16 pm

Hey guys, just asking if there is anyone who is experienced on this.

My group will be travelling to Malaysia with own musical instruments and some PA system accessories for a few days. Items we will be bringing are keyboard, electric guitar, few microphones, few stands (for microphones and instruments) and some audio cables.

Communicating with Malaysia's Customs and Immigration Department has not been helpful (and very frustrating) and it only reinforces its bad reputation for lazy government. The website, while being lengthy, does not provide information on the procedures. I will try again but I would like to see if anyone has done it before.

1. Do we need to declare them? If yes, which are the required documents?

2. Do we need to pay to bring them over? If yes, how much?

3. We will be travelling in our own chartered bus. Once we reach the checkpoint from the Second Link in Johore, do we have to bring them down from our bus together with our luggages, or can we leave them in our bus while we do immigration clearance? (it will be freaking cumbersome if we have to carry all of them on us)

Thanks!

zzm9980 · Post by **zzm9980** » Tue, 05 Jun 2012 1:46 am

*Shrug*. If it was anyone else posting, I'd be telling them to ask you! :p

the lynx · Post by **the lynx** » Tue, 05 Jun 2012 8:57 am

zzm9980 wrote:*Shrug*. If it was anyone else posting, I'd be telling them to ask you! :p

Ironic eh?

Anyway we have decided to pull off the camel approach. Each one of us will carry few items on ourselves down when we disembark from our bus, and prepare a list to declare all items, just in case.

Someone told me he has done that before.

After all, we are not exactly carrying an entire studio. Most of the larger stuff will be provided at our venue.

Will keep posted if it works, or doesn't work.

Mi Amigo · Post by **Mi Amigo** » Tue, 05 Jun 2012 11:33 am

Hey Lynx,

Just curious - what kind of group is it? I wish I had some advice to give but I have no direct experience of what you're planning to do. Good luck though!

Saint · Post by **Saint** » Tue, 05 Jun 2012 11:51 am

the lynx wrote:3. We will be travelling in our own chartered bus. Once we reach the checkpoint from the Second Link in Johore, do we have to bring them down from our bus together with our luggages, or can we leave them in our bus while we do immigration clearance? (it will be freaking cumbersome if we have to carry all of them on us)

Thanks!

You will have to take everything off the bus and peronally drag it through immigration and customs!

This is why I'm never going to take a chartered coach on a golf trip to JB again!

ecureilx · Post by **ecureilx** » Tue, 05 Jun 2012 2:14 pm

the lynx wrote: Communicating with Malaysia's Customs and Immigration Department has not been helpful (and very frustrating) and it only reinforces its bad reputation for lazy government. The website, while being lengthy, does not provide information on the procedures. I will try again but I would like to see if anyone has done it before.

1. Do we need to declare them? If yes, which are the required documents?

2. Do we need to pay to bring them over? If yes, how much?

3. We will be travelling in our own chartered bus. Once we reach the checkpoint from the Second Link in Johore, do we have to bring them down from our bus together with our luggages, or can we leave them in our bus while we do immigration clearance? (it will be freaking cumbersome if we have to carry all of them on us)

Thanks!

Malaysian Customs is famous for asking declaration for anything electrical and electronic ..

recently I took a juice blender, costing less than 100 $ and a Sennheiser cordless mic - about 300 $ both as a gift - the customs insisted that I pay duty for both .. even when I showed the wedding invites ..

After some thought the guy let me through though since he saw somebody who had more valuable stuff than me ..

When are you heading there ?

I know some musician friends who do gigs in KL .. I can ask them.

the lynx · Post by **the lynx** » Tue, 05 Jun 2012 9:38 pm

Mi Amigo wrote:Just curious - what kind of group is it?

It is actually for a church camp and my praise band is responsible to oversee the transport of our musical instruments and additional audio devices over to Malacca. Since I'm the only Malaysian in the entire group, naturally the task is on me to find out.

ecu wrote:When are you heading there ?

This Sunday

ecureilx · Post by **ecureilx** » Wed, 06 Jun 2012 2:08 pm

the lynx wrote:
ecu wrote:When are you heading there ?
This Sunday

Sent you a PM !

the lynx · Post by **the lynx** » Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:56 am

OK as promised, here is an update of our 'camel attempt' two weeks ago.

So as planned, we assigned each member of our group to carry each item off the bus and we also prepared a detailed list of our 'precious cargo' just in case.

Guess what, the officers didn't bat an eyelid but it was clear to them that we were in a group carrying audio equipment (short of speakers) and musical instruments.

Same thing on our way back.

So, meh.

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:59 am

'tis always better to anticipate the worst and be pleasantly surprised than the reverse.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Wed, 20 Jun 2012 5:06 pm

Church camp? And I had you down as a bad girl

the lynx · Post by **the lynx** » Wed, 20 Jun 2012 5:20 pm

JR8 wrote:Church camp? And I had you down as a bad girl

Perhaps I'm an angelish devil?

Or devilish angel?

Your pick

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