Your sea freight should arrive within four to twelve weeks.( The
shipping agent will take your shipment through customs and any taxes
due will be paid by SSB.) In the event of the container arriving
before you are able to move to your permanent house, the shipping
agent would keep it for storage.
You can buy most things for the house and the kitchen here in Miri
but most people bring as much as they can in their sea freight.
Below are some items that you may wish to consider including in
your sea freight because they are not readily available here or
are of limited choice.
Furniture and Furnishings
Transit houses are furnished with loan furniture which you can use
until your sea freight arrives. In addition, new arrivals with a
departure window of not less than 12 months are entitled to a furniture
subsidy of RM15,000 for married employees and RM12,000 for single
employees (including grass widowers). It is paid on presentation
of receipts and is applicable only for furniture and curtains bought
in Malaysia. The furniture is yours and you can keep it to take
away with you at the end of your contract. Amah furniture, if needed,
should be considered as part of this subsidy.
There are a few furniture shops with reasonable tables, chairs
and sofas and you usually have to place an order which can take
up to a four to six weeks. Some carpentry shops are quite skilled at copying
and making furniture from a photograph or drawing. Curtain material
can be purchased and curtains/blinds made to measure locally, though
plain fabrics may be difficult to find.
Local beds are only 6 feet long so you may want to bring your own
or have them made here. There is a large choice of mattresses, even
orthopedic ones, and you can even order them to size.
Houses have either hardwood floors or tiled floors. Area rugs are
a good thing to bring although some stores in Miri do sell factory-made
rugs. Piasau Camp is also frequently visited by a carpet salesman
who goes door-to-door with his trunk full of Oriental handmade carpets.
It is not advisable to bring wooden antiques because of the risk
of termites. For local import restrictions, see the Notes for
Guidance.
Electrical Appliances
Sarawak uses 3-pin British type plugs and the power supply is 50
Hz/240 volts. Adaptors are widely available. Surge protectors are recommended for computer, television,
fax machine and modems.
Satellite TV is available with around 20 or more channels, depending
on your subscription. Televisions from Europe (except from the UK)
can be used in Malaysia but not those from America because of the
difference in formats. Most electrical goods, including computers
and fax machines, are sold here; the quality is good and the price
reasonable.
Piasau Camp and Taman Bayshore houses are equipped with a fairly large refrigerator
with a separate small freezer compartment. Washing machines, tumble
dryers and dishwashers are available in Miri but they are quite
expensive and the choice of brands is limited (Electrolux, Elba,
other lesser-known European makes). There are several small repair
centres, including one for Philips. Remember, though, that if you
do bring your own appliances, service centres may not exist in Miri
so spare parts may be hard to get hold of and will have to be sent
for.
Clothing
Most clothes, shoes and socks are made to fit Asian sizes. Leather
shoes/sandals for men are easier to find than those for women. You
can have clothes (casual and formal wear) made to order as there
are plenty of good and inexpensive dressmakers. There is a good
choice of fabric, but 100% cotton or linen are not always available.
The dress code in Piasau Camp is casual, with occasional formal
events (like St. Andrew's Night) where a cocktail dress or black
tie are worn.
Sports Equipment
Bring your own bicycle if you are exceptionally tall, although you
can probably order your size from the many bike shops in Miri or
Kuala Lumpur. Mountain bikes (for men and women) and racing bikes
are available locally. There is a mountain biking club that meets
every weekend.
Sports equipment for tennis, squash, golf and diving are sold locally
and there are many sports clubs that you can join.
Books and Magazines
Miri has a number of book stores but they only carry titles in English,
Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese. Foreign newspapers are difficult to
find and may be a few days old. There are two local English dailies
(The Sarawak Tribune and The Borneo Post) and a national
newspaper (The New Straits Times); they can all be delivered
to your house. Foreign subscriptions and books ordered through the
Internet are delivered fairly reliably through the Malaysian postal
system.
Health Products
The pharmacies in Miri are well-stocked with prescription and non-prescription
drugs; many prescription-only drugs can be bought over the counter.
Homeopathic drugs are difficult to find so it is best to bring some
with you.
There are several dentists in Miri and one who is also a qualified
orthodontist. Orthodontic work is much cheaper than in Europe or
America. Spectacles and negative contact lenses (hard, soft, disposable,
tinted) are readily available and quite inexpensive.Please note,
however, that positive contact lenses are not available.
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