Popular Chinese-American chef and food journalist Martin Yan is possibly migrating to Penang, and he has been thinking about it many times.
Martin recently joked that he loves Penang so much that he had asked his wife to sell all their properties in the United States so that they can join the “Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H)” programme and reside in Penang. Martin added that he has been thinking of living in Penang for a long time, stating that many of his friends from Hong Kong have also migrated to Penang.
And there is a reason why Martin has Penang on his mind.
“Every time I visit Penang, it feels like I’m going home.”
He has also observed that many friends naturally devote themselves to industries in which they are specialised, including the catering industry, after settling here. This is one of the important factors for him in considering moving to Penang.
But why not KL or Singapore?
According to Martin, Penangites seem more gentle as compared to the people in KL and Singapore.
“If I had known earlier, I would’ve got married in Penang to a gentle woman, and not in the United States,” Martin joked.
“Especially in the years when the Chinese market is rising, there will definitely be many opportunities in Southeast Asia, and Penang could easily integrate with the Chinese market in terms of culture and language.”
As for his plans for his current trip in Malaysia, he said that next year is the Malaysia Tourism Year, and he hopes to use his influence to speak out for Malaysia’s tourism internationally.
This is not Martin’s first rodeo in Malaysia. Nearly a decade ago, he led a photography team to travel around Malaysia to shoot a 26-episode programme “Taste of Malaysia” to introduce Malaysian food and culture to international audiences, reported Oriental Daily.
Martin recently visited Penang for a programme, which you can see on his Instagram posts @chefmartinyan.
What do you think of Martin’s choice when it comes to considering Malaysia to settle down?
Also read: HK Actor Enjoys Celebrating CNY in Penang, Says He’ll Return Every CNY & M’sians Welcome Him
