Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Digital Nomad in APAC

 Some people find it being a digital nomad is the best option to work. Since Covid-19 Pandemic, remote working, aka WFH is the next best thing for work life. But there are some downside if you just WFH and lack the social skills.

So thus, many opt for the Digital Nomad hot desking at remote locations worldwide. Me too, despite based in London, I am happy in Sunny Singapore, with services and facilities available 24/7 for the most time of it.

Getting to work is one thing, but making sure you comply with the local law is another. Despite many people loving Singapore, they have a strict law regarding immigration as many thought they can do the normal "Visa Runs". Even Singaporeans sometimes run foul of the laws in Malaysia by living there continuously or even daily commute.

Malaysia: They have a new program called DE Rantau by MDEC , which is the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation. However, you may be subjected to Malaysian tax regimes which as a foreigner, is as high as 28% since the Ringgit is very weak *(RM4.70-USD/RM3.40-SGD) and with average pay in Singapore for newly graduate IT Tech Support L1 is about USD29K a year, the tax would be about RM11,000 or USD 2500 *(roughly 10%) vs people like me, will be paying about 20% in Income Tax.

In a professional view, a Junior IT Engineer, will be earning S$5000+ *(S$60,000++pa) have to pay about RM 55,000 *(SG$15,000) in Malaysian tax compared to about S$2,700 in Singapore alone. Assumption is Single without any deductibles available.

Cost in Malaysia is very cheap! RM1500 in JB will get a good guarded condominium with gym etc whereas average like-for-like in Singapore will set you off for $4500 *(RM15k)

But the red tapes...oh my lord...it's never an easy thing. Singapore is digitised. But..they do not really welcome nomads. You need a working permit etc if you wish to stay longer. Else, stay in Batam.

Malaysia on the otherhand, the fees are about RM2000 +RM3000 for the security bond. You can bring your kids too, but all in all, getting a professional visa is far cheaper, when starting a company cost about RM4000++, and the visa fees are similar but you get to stay for 3 to 5 years.

I will go into depth in  another article


Chao!

ازرين بن عبدالعزيز ماجد


Sunday, August 6, 2023

The truth about credit reports and credit score.

 I know, being having bad credit sucks, especially if you are a foreign student or just landed in the country. Like me, it's worse off, since I have not had credit for the past 19 years , and because I am overseas, banks do not like me. Even Santander (ABBEY National) when I have been with them for over 20+ years.

No credit, or thin credit is worse off them having poor credit. So what do I have to do to get things started:

  1. PROOF OF IDENTITY- Your drivers License. A Learners License (Provisional) would at least get you somewhere as proof. You will need the D1 form and ID + £34. They will need your passport # or Visa Share code. I don't trust them enough...so a trip up to Morriston Swansea is best.
  2. Basic Accounts etc still require ID, and it's a chicken & egg situation, thus why your first stop is to get your ID sorted. 
  3. Voters Roll - It's to show you are legal there. And yes, a NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBER (NINO) is needed, so you are able to work, and link your license too to it. Don't have it? Go get it yourself. Previously, we get this from the DFEE or Jobcenter, and now it's done online. 
Some organisations do let you have a mere basic account, but if you are from abroad, best if you have a HSBC Account and from there, the International Team can help you get an account BEFORE YOU GET HERE. Once you are here, change yr address and it take them 3 months to get your records. 


Do note some stuff with HSBC: CALL THEM AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE TAX LIABLE FOR UK ONLY and NOT DUAL TAXATION. By default, those clowns in Bangalore will say you are tax resident in XXXX and UK, otherwise you won't get any benefits from the account. And you gotta press on with them that you are a Premier customer so that you get the benefits.

For now... I will talk about those credit builder site. Yes. I paid LoqBox to up my ratings and kinda work, cos now my credit utilisation is far better.

In every aspect, it takes alot of patience and time.

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Notice of filing for Trademark

 Legal Notice.

We at Azrin.Info, Property owner for Intellectual Mark ( ZYRAZ'S ) and it's variants (ZYRAZ) of Name and the Phonetic Sounding alike , hereby transfer the asset of Malaysia Mark No 07015090 of class 30 (manufacturing) CaseID 2007-07187 to Zyraz Technology and it's subsidiaries, including ZYRAZ Ltd (UK), ZAIRA FOODS Limited *(UK) under UK Property Mark number UK000039333093.









This serves as a legal notice of any parties using our Trade Name ZYRAZ and it's Variants within the laws of UK, Singapore, Malaysia and European Union.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Where have I been...

 I just realised my last post was actually 1 year ago and I was actually quite busy ..that I forgot about things. 

Things Done:
Setup new Entities in UK *(Zyraz Ltd, Zaira Foods Limited) and a few bit and bobs here and that to prepare myself for mini retirement. Looking into things, the UK Market is pretty much screwed when I was there...and blimey... it's really costing a fortune there.

However, it propose a very interesting proposition for me.. getting back into the property ladder. With places like in Newcastle cheaper than my car here in Singapore... heck anything is cheaper than the COE! 

Anyway, I will do some back posts....or when I am free...

For now..it's business as Usual.

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Subsidy issues - Simple solutions for all.

 Malaysia now is in a new era of government and thus the government must listen to the Rakyat.

Fuel subsidy is a real pain in the backside for a lot of people, and they should learn from from both Indonesia and Singapore on how to run a fuel management system.

My take is as such:

Corporates:
Link with a Fleet Management Operator, such as Petronas, Shell, Petron, BHP or even a 3rd Party Fuel Reseller such as how in Singapore akin to BestFuels etc for DIESEL MANAGEMENT.

How it work? Every card /  RFID Token has preset quota per day / week and month and when it's finished, it's finished and they have to pay FULL TARRIFFS. So as a company, they could pool the subsidy up to their limits, based on their usage.

Example: ABC Bus has 20 Express Buses and each uses 260L and drives 2000km....which is a lot. So the quota will be 250Lx28days=7000L per vehicle and the preset fuel will be billed accordingly, on month-to-month basis. If the company has poor payment record, then the fuel subsidy will go like the Commercial Vehicle Owners, such as Grab etc.

Commercial SME users can use APP BASED discount where they are given discount coupons for their purchases and this is subjective to their 'QUOTA' usage. Of course, like here in SG, we have 'LOYALTY' cards which is nothing new, but these cards can come with preset discounts like 10-20% depending on membership *(standard, commercial, grab-driver)++ 

So fuel prices MUST FLOAT. To ensure dealers are not short changed, the price they pay the company is based on the amount of fuel dispensed, less all the coupons and discount codes. Again, this is to ensure fairness and equality, as some stations lose fuel to ullage is approximately 400L of Petrol a day. As a former station owner, our net dealership discount was only 3.5sen per liter and over a tankful of 52,000L delivered, we must sell that all in a day at least before we lose money due to weather.

We actually make a little bit more money on the shop stuff, like prepaid and e-wallet topup (50c per transaction) and what others.

So, if foreigners want to refuel, they pay as per float and if B40 wants to get super cheap fuel, the subsidy may be higher because they have more coupon or subsidy whereas those with high capacity cars, get lesser coupons.

So if you run out of coupons or if you are not entitled to subsidies, then you pay the full price. Simple as that. You cannot have a BMW driver enjoying same subsidy as those with earning less than RM4000.

The mechanism could be as follows:


Motorbikes, under 150cc                     RM100 or 50L of subsidised fuel at RM1; 50L @RM1.50.
Cars under 1500cc or over 10 years    RM300 or 100L at RM1 ; 100L at RM1.50
Cars 1500-2000cc                                RM200 or 200L at RM1.50
Small Trucks BDM<5T                       RM500 or 500L at RM1 (Same as fisherman)
Large Trucks / Bus                               RM2000 or 2000L at RM1

This will be far lower than the RM2.05 fuel price but they won't bleed too much as logistic cost won't go up. The bare subsidy can be applied directly to the fuel provider as a pool or likewise.


Put to this perspective, a Thai Pickup, refuel 60L x 3 a day = 180L of subsidy lost daily x 20 days...which is about 3800L of fuel subsidies or approx RM2000! 
My Singaporean Brethren are no better with their fuel monkey tricks, despite the RM4 full price of RON97...so at least there is a sense of targeted subsidy for the needy.

In a way, 50L of petrol = 700km for a biker, or 20 tankfuls of a Honda Cub, 1000KM for a small car based at 10km/L consumption, and these will spur the need to budget their commute to public transport.

As for Stage Bus, maybe the LTA-PPP Bus may work well, where the bus, fuel are by the MOT, and operators charge for the Labor and Operations. At least we will know the bus will be on time and maintained.


 

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

RFID - Touch n Go ... (Join JB Rite?)

 Honestly I play cheat alot cos I HATE QUEUE, esp paying for toll.


What U need:

Touch n Go e-Wallet account. Top it up RM100 (can auto reload also). Recommend use a MALAYSIAN NUMBER, Maxis Hotlink is good, 30day validity, you can get free data, just topup RM5 to make it alive every 15-30 days...or Digi/Altel with their 365 plan.

Physical TNG Card..which U need to pay the stupid RM20 RoadCharge anyway. FYI, many places NO STOCK! New RFID type wait long long.

TNG RFID sticker..this one U can buy on Shoppee or many shops can do for you.


I don't like to permanent stick, so I recycled an old McD VIP decal, put in middle of it, place 6 INCHES (2 fists) from top n bottom, macam how we stick road tax disc last time, AWAY FROM ANY OTHER devices especially if U got those gantry cards. If you do, place yr gantry cards in bottom of your car...this RFID is a very luan kuku nathen type.  I honestly way, have a clean left side, otherwise the alternative is more worse (paste at your number plate which must be PLASTIC)

Register, enter your plate number, and put the details, they will ask if malaysian car...just say yes.. cos Sabah Sarawak now plate same as ours...and wait for approval and activation.

Then, moment of truth, test at the RFID Lane on the toll. 

If OK, then all good. Money deduct from eWallet. U will get a notification for that.

Many place , parking is all DIGITAL, so pay using your TNG App, and shop locally using the ewallet like 7-11, Lotus (TESCO) , MyDin *(CHEAP!) and more


Good luck

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Selamat Hari Raya 2022

 Salam Semua,... Selamat hari raya... mintak maaf lah eh..tapi posting posting yang memarahi org sg isi minyak (walaupon Ron97, VPOWER) dan apa2 lain...really now getting on my nerves....

Enuff talk lah.. SHUT THE FRIGGING BORDER DOWN! We don't need all the critics and noisy motorbikers. I hate those noisy and reckless bikers! Jangan kasi orang Singapore masuk langsung ok?!
Give you business also KPKB .... while at it... we stop all ships going to PTP and Port Klang too k...
Dulu yang mulut longkang selalu kata...MENYEMAK JER ORANG SINGAPORE NI.. tak sedar sedar lagi ker? 2 tahun tutup..yang mampos rakyat Malaysia yang kerja di Singapura..kerana gaji di KL RENDAH SEKALI..tak setimpal kerja.. Doctor di HKL gaji RM5000 banding houseman S$4000..cleaner pon dapat $3000! JB terus jadi macam changlun / kelantan...kedai tutup abis.... Nak lagi ker??
INGAT SIKIT.. Kerajaan dah tak cukup duit..nak sumbat dalam ATM pon BNM tak cukup... Barangan kita mahal giler kerana supply chain kita bottle necked kat Port Klang etc compared to SG... tak sampai 6 jam... kapal dah unload+loaded up+refuelled. Kita? 3 hari masih sangkut.
Kita kalau border tutup, orang SG boleh belanja di tempat lain....Australia ke.. Bangkok ke.. London ke....flight banyak.. dialu alukan lagi pelancong yang berbelanja di tempat mereka. Kita yang merantau di pulau penjara nie mencari sesuap nasi..kerana susah payah di tanah sendiri.... Ramai, setakat SPM je boleh digajikan lebih dari seorang doktor di Malaysia.... untuk kesenangan anak dan keluarga di Malaysia.
Don't make our lives more miserable. Kitorang pon terpaksa pakai kenderaan SG pasal nak bayar VEP etc MAHAL GILER!

Really frust lah.

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Singapore - JB Border is NOW OPEN!

 Great News! Singapore - JB Border is now opening on 1st April 2022.

What you need:

1) LOG CARD

2) INSURANCE CERTIFICATE

3) COVID CERTIFICATE FWD Insurance

4) MySejahtera App

5) Touch N Go E-Wallet

6) Touch N Go Card


DRIVERS NOTE:

Understandably, your TNG Card is DORMANT, so you need a new one. You got 7 days to get a new one but don't kanchong, Link your TNG Card to your e-Wallet and money will be deducted from there. Then once you reach JB, GO GET A NEW ONE AND TOPUP. This is for your ROADCHARGE! All Tolls now use E-Wallet money, and your Singapore based Debit Cards can be used in the wallet.

Check your card status by clicking TOLL button on the app and if your card is INACTIVE- means you are screwed, New Card is needed. Otherwise, you may be able to get a refund if you registered it on the TNG Portal

YOU STILL NEED VALUE IN YOUR CARD FOR ROAD CHARGE!


MYSEJAHTERA

That is similar to Trace Together in Malaysia. You can either use your IC Number as ID or Passport Number but I suggest you use your Singapore NRIC for that as your IC don't change.

Register using your Singapore Number and then register your overseas vaccination cert on the HelpDesk.

One trick is for your kids to be placed in your account, so one check in, all checked in.

Vaccination Process update was covered before.

It takes 5 days to update! Bring your ORIGINAL Digital Cert!


As Malaysia tend to cock up, please keep paper printouts so you cover yourself.

Do not forget , their ATMS close at 11pm-6am!



 


Monday, February 7, 2022

Data Privacy and Protection.

 This Serves As A Legal Notice

Azrin Info Web and it's affiliated sites are hosted across the world, with Domain Services in United States and Entity Services Registered in Singapore, United Kingdom and many other locations.

While browsing the content here and throughout, your activities will be tracked by so many 3rd party services, for financial gain such as advertising or demographics or anything else for that matter and may be owned by Foreign Government Agencies.

The Data and Information may be passed and resold to other parties and by coming here, you consent that you have no right over your own data and stuff like that. In other words, ANYTHING GOES, similar to the dark web and the operators and content providers, it's agents and affiliates are not responsible for your safety and security.

Malaysia Government Regulations require us to inform you that our servers are located across multiple countries, commonly known as CLOUD DISTRIBUTED NETWORK and Services in Malaysia are operated by Zyraz Technology Berhad, Co Reg 809970H and it's subsidiary, ZYRAZ VENTURES which are all owned by Zyraz Technology Singapore, UEN SG53231076D.

Our servers are located primarily in Singapore, Malaysia, UK, US, Ireland, Germany and China via AliYun Cloud Servers. So these governments can get hold of your data without us even knowing.

As such, you are responsible over your own actions.

MySejahtera for Singaporeans

 TIME TO TRAVEL!!


So you are getting ready rite? Don't get caught out with our good friends in Malaysia.

As we all know, they will Roti Canai / Prata / Tosei all of us as much as possible. So here is the thing you need to do.

Your Vaccination Cert - Print off from Notarise and SCREENSHOT your cert in JPG from TraceTogether.
SingPass is needed. If you have those manual one from the center, also can but LAMINATE IT!

MySejahtera App. I will recommend get a local number + use your IC Number instead, not your passport. You can register using an email address, but you know lah how efficient their are.

As of now, I used my phone number in Singapore and DON'T WORK. Best go buy Maxis Hotlink as they have 120 day expiry and RM5 topup will let u renew (or even SOS topup)



The politicians say they will recognise our cert but we all know how it goes, and their fines are super high (RM1000 ~ S$350) so lets not be stupid.