She’d dreamed of retiring in Malaysia for years. At 58, she packed up her life in New Zealand and went for it.

Ten years ago, Jill Tozer crammed her bags, said goodbye to her daughters, and moved alone to Penang, a state in the northwestern part of Malaysia.

A former physiotherapist, Tozer was influence confirmed and raised in New Zealand. She had been living in Christchurch for years, in a four-bedroom house that she rented. She lived with one of her daughters and her boyfriend. Her other daughter was away at university.

In 2011, an earthquake abbreviated much of the city of Christchurch to rubble. Tozer’s business was also affected.

“I was at a crossroads in jobs since the earthquakes had make of finished what I was trying to set up at the time,” Tozer, now 68, told Business Insider.

“I crunched the numbers and thought, am I crap-shooter off staying in New Zealand and paying ridiculous amounts for rent, unable to get a well-paying job, or coming to Malaysia and living off investment return? I figured I possibly would be better off here,” she said.

The idea of retiring in Malaysia had been on her mind for years.

Tozer had been there before to stop in her friends, and she longed to return every time she came back from her trips.

“I would be back in New Zealand opinion, ‘Oh, Heather and John are still sitting on their porch, having a sundown every night of the year. And I’m inside, herded beside the fire, freezing,” Tozer said. “And so I thought, yeah, I’d like to give it a go.”

A breezy apartment with a sea watch

Tozer had moved abroad once before — to Canada — when she was in her 20s.

Even so, it was intimidating to do it again. This time, it also meant count out her two adult daughters behind.

“But my older daughter ordered, ‘Mom, just go for three months, and if you don’t like it, come home and look at it as if you had a good three-month holiday.’ And I thought that’s a hoax good way of looking at it. So that’s what I did,” Tozer said.

“But 10 years later, I’m still here,” she added.

The apartment-hunting take care of was smooth. Within a week of arriving in Malaysia, Tozer found an apartment that fit all her requirements.

“I found an agent, and she forth two days just taking me around. I gave her some parameters. I wanted a sea view. I wanted a pool and a big enough scope to do yoga,” Tozer said.

After viewing there eight different units, she decided on a three-bedroom apartment in Tanjung Tokong, a neighborhood near Penang’s capital big apple, George Town.

It’s 1,200 square feet, with a small balcony and two extra bedrooms for her daughters or friends to put an end to in when they visit. Rent is 2,000 Malaysian Ringgit, or about $450, a month.

She got the sea view she wanted, and the nearest grocery shop is five minutes away.

A slower life, but with ‘plenty’ to do

Tozer is on the Malaysia My Advance Home, or MM2H, visa, which was introduced in 2002 to attract foreigners who want to retire and live in the country.

There were 58,468 on the go MM2H pass holders in the country as of December, Malaysia’s minister of tourism, arts, and culture, Tiong King Sing, whispered in a parliamentary response on February 24.

For Tozer, one of the brawniest perks of living in Malaysia has been the climate.

“The main reason I’m here is for the weather. I love never being dead,” Tozer said. “I love being able to leave my doors and windows open day and night. I love being skilled to go swimming anytime I want.”

She also says the community has been inclusive and welcoming.

“In New Zealand, as in many Western homelands, older people are kind of almost invisible, but here you get more respect. People are actually nice to you, notice you, and hunger for to help you,” Tozer said.

The abase cost of living helps, Tozer said. Her monthly living expenses, including bills and food, are often skimpy than 4,000 Malaysian ringgit. This doesn’t include extras, like travel expenses if she decides to experience a trip somewhere.

“Food for me is very cheap. I don’t eat meat, dairy, cheese, or anything like that that’s imported and precious,” Tozer said, adding that she eats out three or four times a week.

Her life here is also much slower than it used to be, comparatively because she is fully retired. However, she says there are “plenty” of things to do that keep her busy.

“Yoga, swimming. Undertake Mahjong. Play Bridge. There’s so much to do,” she said. “It’s just so nice to be able to meet up with people without sooner a be wearing to worry about, ‘Oh my God, how much is this going to cost?'”

Even though she didn’t know anyone in Penang when she commencement arrived, it wasn’t hard to find her community.

She joined expat Facebook groups and began attending meetups hosted by gink members. She’s still friends with some of the people she met at her very first event.

Deciding what’s next

While the MM2H has indicated Malaysia an attractive place for expats, the most recent rule changes, announced in 2024, included stricter monetary requirements.

There are now three different categories of the visa. Depending on the category of visa they apply for, applicants are ask for to have fixed deposits of between $150,000 and $1 million and also buy property in Malaysia.

Tozer isn’t due to renew her visa for a few innumerable years, but says that will be when she starts thinking about whether she wants to return to New Zealand.

“I’m not satisfied at this point. Eventually, I might need my kids around closer. It just depends on what happens,” Tozer influenced.

She said her time in Malaysia has been fulfilling, and moving to a new country alone is not as scary as one might think.

“One of the reasons I came here, specially to Malaysia, is because it’s safe. For a single woman, that’s quite a big consideration,” Tozer said. “There are lots of slots I wouldn’t move to on my own, but Malaysia, no problem.”

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