RETIREMENT is a time to live your life better and have a great adventure in a new part of the world.
In Malaysia, there are four retirement villages — The Green Leaf (Sepang), AraGreens Residence (Ara Damansara), Green Acres (Ipoh) and Eden-on-the-Park (Kuching) — offering facilities for senior citizens from all over the world to reinvent their lives.
A retirement village is a multi-residence housing facility intended for senior citizens. The facilities provided include meals, gatherings, recreation activities and some form of health or hospice care.
More demand for retirement homes are expected as the ageing population increases.
In the next three years, one in 10 Malaysians will age 60 and above. By 2040, it is projected to be one in five, giving the country an ageing nation status.
Based on the Live and Invest Overseas Annual Overseas Retirement Index 2017, 13 categories represent the most important criteria retirees must weigh when shopping the globe for the best place to live in their golden years.
The categories are cost of living, crime and safety, spoken English, entertainment, environmental conditions, expat community, health care, infrastructure, real estate affordability, real estate restrictions, recreation, residency options and taxes.
The index considers George Town in Penang as one of the Top destinations to reinvent life, get some adventure, have a great time and reduce cost of living dramatically.
George Town was named the most livable city in Malaysia and the eighth most livable city in Asia by global consulting firm ECA International.
Kuala Lumpur is also in the Top 10 list.
Ipoh’s very own retirement village
Total Investment Group is developing Green Acres in Meru, Ipoh — a five-phase development that was unveiled in 2014.
The RM100 million project will offer 177 units for independent living sprawled across a 5.26ha land surrounded by lush greenery and the rolling limestone hills of the Kinta Valley.
Each of the one and two-bedroom units, measuring between 730 and 1,100 sq ft, offer living space large enough for comfort yet small enough for easy maintenance.
The first phase of Green Acres was officially opened recently by Plantation Industries and
Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong.
It comprises 26 units of resident-ready single-storey landed villas and a RM10 million community-centric clubhouse.
The three-story clubhouse spans 30,000 sq ft and anchors the residents’ community activities. Fronting a pristine landscape, back-dropped by emerald green hills in the distance, the clubhouse is the largest within a residential development in Ipoh.
Total Investment Group executive director John Chong said: “The first phase villas include new residents from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Canada.
“We are receiving great interest from residents from all over the world who would like to retire gracefully and comfortably in Ipoh,” he said.
Chong said the homes are designed to be age-friendly and are available in six layouts ranging from 734 sq ft to 1,105 sq ft in size.
These homes cannot be bought or sold; they can only be leased for life from the developer.
“They are required to pay an upfront deposit from RM300,000 onwards for a lifetime lease in addition to monthly general service charge starting from RM371 and sinking fund, which covers the operational cost of the village and access to the facilities and activities at the clubhouse.
“The lease deposit will be refunded to them when they leave,” said Chong, adding that 15 villas in the first phase had already been taken up by not just Malaysians but also residents from Canada and Hong Kong.