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Thank you for asking this question Cheryl.

First time I visited Malaysia was in 1979, I had just graduated from university in London and was visiting a relative in Singapore. Her friend who was a Judge in Kuala Lumpur invited me to stay for a week in KL and her friend, brother of Najib the former PM brought me around KL I remember in his sports Mercedes. We went sightseeing, went to discos, clubs, eating out etc. That was great fun, Second time was around 1981. I flew to Penang to stay with friends, a Brit married to a Malaysia woman. Loved it then. Third time was in 1982 when I drove my Kawasaki z650 bike from Singapore where I was living up the East Coast of Malaysia with my Malay girlfriend at the time. That was great too because places like Johore Baru, Mersing, Desaru were very much underdeveloped. I also went on a few more motorbike trips into Malaysia with other expat friends in Singapore which was a lot of fun. These were guys I had gone to university with in London.

As an expat, because I had worked and lived in many countries in Asia, including 9 years in Singapore, when I eventually moved to Kuala Lumpur in 2003 I found the country very welcoming.

My first impression was that it was really nice, everyone spoke English, living here was cheap, shopping and eating was good, property was cheap to buy. People were friendly, especially with the opposite sex as foreigners were very popular. I was retired without any income and just there to buy property which was really easy because apart from my first property I was always able to get mortgage loans, and tenants were very easy to find.

No problem at all integrating. People were in the most part very friendly.

I don't know if there are support groups or events for newcomers but in Malaysia I see no point in that since the place is so easy to adapt to.

Yes very easy to make friends. I belonged to several condo owners committees and made some good friends, both local and expat. I also joined a gym and made friends there. And made friends with people that lived in the same condominium as myself.

Malaysia is a welcoming destination for expats probably because most people speak English, it is generally safe, lots of great places to eat both cheap and expensive, great shopping, and the government's MM2H programs that make it easy for expats to come to live here. The place is very international, lots of events and exhibitions, beautiful cities and towns to visit and nice beaches. It's an 'easy' place to live and it's a stone's throw from other places like Singapore, Thailand and all the other countries of Asia.

When I lived there the worst thing about it were the taxi drivers. But since Grab arrived it got a lot better.

The questions were asked and answered before but i'll say something about the word "welcoming."

There was a time was Malaysia was possibly the most welcoming place in the world. I think it has to do with the simple nature of the place which changed with advances in technology starting in the 90s.

When I came at the end of 1999, it was definitely welcoming but I was at the very tail end of the country's easy and simple life. That time, I met an american who opened an English school in 1975 and the govt was so pleased with that decision it gave him instant permanent residency to encourage him to stay. His descriptions of life here made one think one had woken up in shangri-la! He certainly sold me and said he planned to never leave. Indeed, why should he? Good food, weather, very low costs and a govt which said YES to anything. In 1980, my brother, who had honeymooned in Bali and Malaysia and gave serious thought to moving to either of the places for the same reasons.

Remember that at that time, 70s, Malaysia was without computers. PM Mahathir was possibly the first early adopter of the IBM-PC in 1978. Only the richest companies could afford any tech and this very point meant that ordinary people would continue their life-simple ways which Im saying allowed them to be so "welcoming."

Tech didnt ruin Malaysia any more than it affected any other country but advances opened the door to a harder, more complicated and more expensive life. Along the way, Malaysia lost its charm as did the rest of SE Asia, in my opinion. Heavy international migration didnt do any favors either. In this sense, Malaysia was most "welcoming" when there were fewer expats and with that rise, dilution of culture hurt, too.

It would be unfair to believe time should stand still anywhere, im only saying the best of Malaysia isnt something an expat can any longer look forward to, my pessimism only coming from the contrast of having been here in better days. Im a bit jaded; if a brand new expat can come and find welcoming things, more power to them.

What was your first impression when you arrived? good infrastructure for a country with a pretty low cost of living, good food everywhere, surprisingly good for hiking

Did you face any challenges while integrating? Any advice on how to overcome them? Not really it is quite easy to integrate. Get involved - try local food, pursue some hobbies you enjoy, travel around the country etc.

Are there any support programs, groups or events to help newcomers settle in? yes there, loads different groups based on different hobbies. I am in a hiking and badminton one for example

Do you find it easy to make friends or connections with locals and fellow expats? yes mostly through hiking

What makes Malaysia a welcoming destination for expats? high english proficiency, multi-cultural