article About What SIM card for Malaysia for Singaporeans? - (all-vga-corner)

The prepaid SIM cards

I used U Mobile, Maxis, Celcom and Digi SIM cards and most expired due to failing to top up within the stipulated time thus confiscating the remaining amount of money prepaid.  This is a minus for owning a sim card without long life. Now, I only have Digi and Celcom SIM cards which serve me well.

The article I wrote 5 years ago (12 Nov 2009) was no longer valid as many have changed since.  Many points mentioned have their merits as they are the basic needs for Singaporeans in a foreign country.  Since then, the emergence of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) offers a spectrum of options to fulfill the needs of individuals at an attractive rate.  Our lifestyle has also changed dramatically when we are more addicted to smartphone.  Wifi and data have become our basic needs defying Maslow's theory.

Factors to consider

I list down some concerns for Singaporeans who are visiting Malaysia:

1. Calling minutes vs Online Data

There are 3 types of SIM card: Calling, Data or Both. Many are blindly buying any sim card for calling but who are you calling in a foreign land with few friends? Even if you have many relatives and friends, are you going to talk for hours instead of meeting them in persons?  If not, why are you going into Malaysia?  For some, they are conned into buying data-only SIM card and not realising that it cannot make any outgoing calls.

2. Speed of Mobile Network

Malaysia is different from Singapore.  It is still developing its 4G network and some companies only has 2G or 3G to offer.  The price can be cheap but the speed is worst than a 56k modem. Make your peace if you want to save a few penny and lose a dollar.  Some may throttle your speed after the maximum is exceeded.

Surprisingly, U Mobile is named the fastest mobile network in Nov 2015 by Ookla.

3. Network coverage

Without network, you cannot make any call or receive any data similar to a phone without battery.  For mobile network, 4G/LTE is vital for your network speed.  Bearing in mind that no telcom can cover 60% of the entire Malaysia (2015 Q3), you can get good network only in cities and towns.  This is deadly for MVNOs who are riding on to the Big 4 for bandwidth. 

We see that in the entire Malaysia, Maxis has the widest 4G coverage in Malaysia (~60%) while U Mobile has only (37%).  Celcom has the fastest 4G download speed (~15Mbps) while Digi has less than 10 Mbps.

4. Reliability of network

This is an important consideration but many ignore this important criteria.  The technologies also play a decisive role.  Let me illustrate below.

For Johor Bahru 4G network, Digi stands out as the best while Celcom is the worst.

For KL, Celcom wins with the strongest coverage in 4G while Maxis has the weakest coverage.

For Penang, Celcom wins by a narrow margin while U Mobile has zero 4G presence at all.  But you can expect U Mobile to provide 3G internet speed which can be up to 20 times slower than 4G.

If you go to Tioman, you can throw away your Digi, Maxis or U Mobile SIM because only Celcom has reasonably good 3G network.  Sorry, 4G must wait... longer.

In a nutshell, you cannot trust anyone who share his or her experiences with you because the destinations maybe different.  Malaysia has East and West portions and the coverage strengths vary for different telcos.  Specially for JB (Jan 2016), Digi has the strongest 4G coverage so it should be your default choice for SIM card for data speed.

For West Malaysia, Celcom is still the leader in reliability and network coverage.

5. Expiry date of SIM card

Normally, a SIM card will expire if you never top up after 6 months. So, it is not advisable to top up too much into it if you seldom visit Malaysia often.  For every top up, there is also an expiry date depending on the period you choose.  For instance, if you top up RM 10 for 7 days, the SIM card will be deactivated (cannot call and sms but you can receive call) after 7 days unless you top up again.  Therefore, even after you buy the SIM card, you must also choose wisely to select what type of plan is suitable for the period you are in Malaysia.  Read more on how to choose the best Digi data plan for prepaid.

6. Recharge Value

Many are attracted to a SIM card because they only need RM 1 for top up.  But you cannot expect to pay peanut for an elephant. Generally, the top up rates differ slightly so it should not be a concern here because I trust the market forces are at work.

7. Availability of recharge vouchers

If you cannot find any shops selling recharge voucher, you will waste precious time hunting for a voucher and this will disrupt your journey and plans.  Personally, I have a hard time finding Celcom vouchers in JB.  I understand from the shop owners that there is no demand for Celcom vouchers as most Johorians are using Digi.  Why?  You can find the answer on the 4G network coverage picture above.

8. MVNOs

They are the second-layer players piggy bag on the Big 4.  They offer attractive rate but fail to deliver on coverage and reliability.  They are as reliable as what their principals can provide.

From OpenSignal.com, Digi is obviously doing something right while Maxis is doing poorly in most areas.  A closer inspection reveals that Digi may have too many sign-up customers using 4G that saturates the download speed.  Celcom, on the other hand, has good reliability and download speed of 4G network.  This is a plus point for Celcom and its MVNOs.

Making Decision

Just focusing on Johor and JB, I list down the table for Big 4 focusing on 4G data, coverage, reliability, download and upload speed.

Digi has weakest signal in Johor but its reliability is the best.  The 4G network for Johor and JB are similar and Maxis is superior in all fields against U Mobile.  If you can live with U Mobile's spec together with a value for money offer, you can consider U Mobile and its MVNOs.  Else, we are left with only the BIG 3.

Between Celcom and Maxis, Maxis is a better choice as upload speed is a secondary concern and it is tough to buy Celcom's reload voucher in JB.  Thus, the final battle is between Maxis and Digi.

Since Digi always has a lower price tag for online data, it is the obvious choice and we shall bear with its slower download speed and its weaker signal.

You can consider Digi's MVNOs below but none can beat Digi on the voucher purchase:

1. Happy Mobile (nothing to be happy about with website down);
2. Tron (with 365 days of validity); and
3. Speakout (3G network with free incoming calls).

Things change and the above are valid for now and with TM joining the 4G race this year and RedOne offering RM8/mth postpaid service, the winners in this fierce competition will definitely be YOU.

What are you waiting for? Go JB and grab a Digi SIM Card now and read this BEFORE you step foot inside JB.

article About Which Digi Mobile Plan (Prepaid SIM) to choose? - (all-vga-corner)

Going to Malaysia

There is a growing number of Singaporeans who travel to Malaysia to shop and eat due to the attractive exchange rate of S$1 to RM3.12 (highest).  I have received many requests to update my best prepaid phone card for Singaporean and unfortunately, my other commitments deterred me from doing so.  I promise that I will update the blog soon.

Digi Prepaid SIM Data Plans

I am still having my loyal Digi Prepaid SIM.  Why Digi?  It is the most popular telco in Johor Bahru and the vouchers are available everywhere.  Although the network coverage is the worst among the 3 main telcos, it is the preferred choice for many Johorians due to its value for money plans.  Digi offers bonus plans if you select certain plans.  For selective plans, it offers unlimited Whatsapp and WeChat or some MB for Facebook for as low as RM 1, which none of the other telcos can match.  If you are keen in choosing one prepaid SIM card, choose the SMART prepaid and NOT the BEST prepaid for data.  An additional perk is you enjoy free unlimited calls and SMS to 3 buddyz and free basic internet and social app!

Unethical Business Model?

Normally, I am using HERE to navigate the streets.  But it does not help to avoid road works and accidents resulting in jams.  The online purchase of data plan is a nightmare and there are various ways to choose a plan such as *116, *126, *128 etc.  The presentation is messy, overlapping and confusing.  If you cannot win over the customers, confuse them?

To make matter worst, Digi fails to tell you that if you fail to unsubscribe the plan before you leave Malaysia, it will auto deduct the plan when you top up next time.  Well done!  It is okay to make good money but unethical to make it this way.  For a few times, I have topped up RM10 and instantly deducted RM5 for a plan I failed to unsubscribe last time.  Hello, Digi, where is your ethic?

Order in Chaos

I am fed up with this situation as I have no way to access the internet while on the road to read over the fine prints, I need to know what plan do I need before I enter Malaysia BUT I have no time to research.  Where can I find a website with such info?

I took some trouble and wrote a guide on what data plan should I be buying.  If you are a Digi prepaid customer, feel free to try out and tell me if it is working for you.  Inside this guide, I have omitted the overlapping plans which are repeated to confuse customers and highlight which plans you should avoid signing up.  The best part is you will be shown the DIRECT USSD CODE to send and select the plan to cater for your choice.  Remember to complete the guide and submit to find the most useful tip for UNLIMITED WEB SURFING even when you have run out of data.

Run through the guide and write down the code before you venture into Malaysia again.

article About In-Depth: How to select your dream smartphone within your budget? - (all-vga-corner)

Guide of selection your dream smartphone

Participate in the guide at the end of this page and find out what you really need.  Read on...

===

Are Reviews and Recommendations Good?

There are many reviews on how to select a smartphone in various websites and we wonder yself if there is a need to write this post.  Some are keen on getting the latest iPhone 6 plus because it is the latest hip thing to get.  Some are unwilling to pay extra for a better smartphone and let the customer service representative decide for them for a free phone. Many of them have little knowledge of the smartphones they are buying and willing to try something new.  The customer representative at the counter will likely to introduce some smartphone which they have the most stocks or can give them the most commissions.  Because the customers have no clue of what deals they are getting.  All are zero cost smartphones with different brand names.

These customers do not research.  Even if they research for a smartphone, more often than not, these websites are only promoting the latest phones to attract eyeballs and provide limited models of phones which are sold in the region or country.  With the emergence of XiaoMi as the 3rd largest player in the world market, USA and Europe seldom include XiaoMi or other China phones in their reviews due to standard compatibility and phone availability.

On the other hand, blame not the reviews as customers are blindly following the mainstream.  The recent saga in Sim Lim Square of a Vietnamese factory operator willing to spend 4.5 times his monthly salaries to buy a iPhone 6 for his girlfriend proved that people are willing to pay.  We have seen clueless customers being persuaded to get Nokia phones when they sign up for 2 years contract based on counter recommendation on durability.  When complications arise, the losers are always the customers.  So, we hope this guide can provide an unbiased and fair evaluation of your needs and more importantly, within your budget and means.

Hold your horses, cowboy! We shall not insist that you should buy our ideal smartphone simply because your needs are different from ours.  We simply show you the direction of where you should  go.

Be Honest With Yourself

Let's begin with some basic questions and make sure you pen them down for reference later...

1. Do you really need a smartphone? Why? Write your needs down.
2. What is your budget for a smartphone?
3. Do you have an Operating System (OS) in mind?
4. Do you care about the aesthetic of the smartphone? 
5. Do you have a manufacturer or brand in mind?

These questions primarily dictate what your smartphone should be.  For instance in Question (5), if you have already decided to get iOS, you can only choose from Apple phones.  Instead of getting the latest iPhone, you can based on your budget and consider a second hand phone such as iPhone 4S or iPhone 5S which are significantly cheaper than iPhone 6.  No one can stop you from selling both your kidneys to buy iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 but you may have no kidney to sell for iPhone 8 which may launched in 5 years' time.

Know Your Current Plan

Ask yourself:

1. Are you currently on prepaid or postpaid plan?
2. Do you have a bundle program with your carrier (or telco)?

If you are on a bundle postpaid plan, you are likely to enjoy some discounts for all your products and services.  It is better to stick to your current plan so you can continue to enjoy such discounts unless there is better offer from other carrier.

The X Factors

There are many features in the next generation smartphone.  For each feature, there is a price premium to pay because they are unique selling points to every manufacturers.  How about selecting 5 top features which you badly wanted and compare against those phones in the market.  If they met all the top 5 criteria, your next smartphone is confirmed.  Else, you may have to look at the open market or overseas for your dream phone.

Guide of selection your dream smartphone

Participate in the guide below and know more about what you really need in your next smartphone.  Good luck and have fun!

article About Should I convert from Post-paid to Pre-paid mobile plan? - (all-vga-corner)

Planning for your ideal mobile plan

Many retirees "inherited" the obsolete mobile phones from their children when they upgrade the phones. Since a mobile plan (with a SIM card) is needed to make the old phone come alive, they leave the decision of their mobile plans to their children. Most of their children chose post-paid plan with limited incoming voice calls with no data plan. However, most old folks are wary of making outgoing voice calls because they are not used to the phone and it is chargeable. For some old plans, they are paying more than S$60+ for 300 min outgoing minutes per month. Due to fierce competition over the years, new plans are more competitive at S$25+ for 100 min outgoing. However, many are ignorance of this option when their contract is due. The same applies for students in schools, polytechnics and universities, except their phones are normally smart phones with data plan.
The demand of pre-paid mobile plan is attractive to short-term tourists and our foreign "talents" (aka workers) who rarely use their phone and cannot get credit. The beauty of pre-paid plan lies in the absence of 2-year contract with the telco. This target segment is not demanding of voice mail, text or data plan since their phones are either low-end or obsolete models. So they are compromised to pay a higher price to use pre-paid services.
Stop, read paragraph 2 again. If you believe every word I wrote, then perhaps you need a paradigm shift. Ten years ago, paragraph 2 is politically correct but it is no longer true now. If 50% of Europe is using pre-paid plans, you are a true believer on the myths of using pre-paid plan. Let me tell you why.

Post-paid vs Pre-paid

If a picture paints a thousand words, I hope this table shed lights on the differences.

	Post-Paid	Pre-Paid
Payment mode	After use	Before use
Monthly Bills	Yes	No
Subscription	Yes	No
Contract binding	2 years	None
Free phone bundle	Yes	None
Registration Charge	S$10.70	None
Free incoming voice calls	Yes	Depending on the plans
Free SMS	Yes	Depending on the plans
Free Caller ID	No	Yes
Free Voice Mail	No	Yes
Fee incoming calls	Yes	Depends

 
Yes. That's all for the differences. How about data plan, IDD calls, international roaming? Don't worry. Pre-paid plans cover them and sometimes offer more.
If you are using post-paid, there is no such thing as free outgoing voice call. It has been factored into your month free minutes. That's why you are paying more for 300 or 700 minutes. It is charged at SS$0.16/min if you exceed your allocated free minutes. Many customer service representatives will tell you to choose the highest minutes plan from your maximum usage. So you are choosing 100min/mth plan (S$16 value) if you are using 80min/mth and 300min/mth plan (S$54 value) when you are in fact using 101 min/mth.
Basically, prepaid plan is not restricted by the number of outgoing voice call minutes and number of SMSs. The catch is pay-as-you-use and in fact, more flexible than standard post-paid services. Therefore, get ready for the surprise if you are the frog still hiding in the well.

Pre-paid plans in the market

Being the largest mobile player in Singapore, SingTel has 4 different pre-paid offerings:

• Hi!card (standard prepaid at 8 cents/min during Happy Hour) with top-up options of (15% bonus, S$28, S$30 and S$55)

• Kababayan Card (calling Philippines at 7 cents/min )
• simPATI kangen Card (calling Indonesia at 16-26 cents/min)
• Sawadee Card (calling Thailand at 6 cents/min)

Since we are targeting at Singaporeans who are interested to convert from Post-paid to Pre-paid, cards and top-up options which are targeting for foreigners who wish to make IDD calls will be omitted in our discussion. Hence, we only consider the Hi!card and its top-up options.
Starhub has 2 basic plans � Green (Happy S$128 and Happy Star S$17) and MaxMobile for voice and data plan respectively. Top-up options are Happy (voice) and Happy Stars (data) prepaid. On and off, they introduce some perks to make their pre-paid cards more attractive. Since we are focusing only on voice plan, we shall take MaxMobile out of the equation.
M1 also has 2 pre-paid plans � M Super S$130 and SuperPac. The former targets standard users while SuperPac targets foreigners who live in a different time zone. We shall consider both plans with its top-up options.

Benchmark using a Post-paid plan

For low usage users, we need a benchmark for comparison so we take a standard 100min/mth plan with no data plan at a comparable value of S$25.68 (100 outgoing minutes and 500 SMSs). Over a period of 24 mths, a post-paid plan will cost a subscriber a total of S$616.32. Note that Post-paid plan can receive unlimited incoming call.

	100min/mth	300min/mth
Free outgoing voice minutes	100	300
Free SMS	500	500
Cost for 1 month (S$)	25.68	48.15
Costs over 24 mths (S$)	616.32	1155.60

 

Case studies

For the Pre-paid plan, let make the following presumption for both groups of consumers:

	Old folk	Night shift worker	Businessman
Duration of incoming calls a month (min)	50	75	150
Duration of outgoing calls a month (min)	50	75	100
Average call duration (min)	1	2	3
Calls made during peak period	80%	10%	60%
Calls made during non-peak period	20%	90%	40%
SMS per month	0	500	600

 
A run through the formula reveals the following:

Best plan	Old folks	Monthly bills (S$)		Night shift worker	Monthly bills (S$)		Businessman	Monthly bills (S$)
1	Singtel Hi!Card (S$55)	9.71		Singtel Hi!Card (S$28)	15.96		Singtel Hi!Card (S$28)	32.63
2	Starhub Green	12.75		Starhub Happy Star card (S$17)	18.46		M Card Super S$130	38.75
3	Singtel Hi!Card (15% bonus)	13.25		Hi!Card (S$55)	19.71		Starhub Happy (S$128)	41.58
Post-paid Plan	Standard 100 min/mth	25.68		Standard 300min/mth	48.15		Standard 300min/mth	48.15

 
The results may be surprising for many because 100min/mth plan can be cheaper than S$10/mth. Yes, it happens. By seizing advantages of the off-period period, you are able to make cheap calls thereby reducing the costs of mobile ownership. Either case, we see most pre-paid plans are cheaper than standard post-paid plans if you ignore the free incoming calls. Bear in mind that pre-paid plans are pay-as-you-use so if you have low usage for that month, you can effectively save more. It is a wonderful way of limiting your phone bill.
An excellent example is a night shift worker. Since there is no 200min/mth plan and outgoing voice at 150min/mth, one need to take up the 300min/mth plan as "adviced" by experts. If he/she takes up a pre-paid plan, savings is sizable and even better than a 100min/mth plan. The saving is nearly half of what he is paying for 300min/mth plan. Can you see the beauty?
Even for a businessman with 300min outgoing voice calls, the bill is much cheaper than a standard 300min/mth plan. Yes, it is possible and you can do your own maths.

The balance of the equation

If pre-paid plans are superior in value, why most of us still signing up post-paid plans? The answers are simple. In the beginning, many have no phone and signing a 2-year contract can get a free or discounted phone. Also, we are haunted by the old Pre-paid plans which are unattractive in value as compared to post-paid plans. It may costs twice as much to call out as compared to post-paid plans.
Now, new pre-paid plans are customized for the new market segments to suit the trend. In Europe and USA, pre-paid plans are bundled with phones and some are having free incoming calls (like M1 SuperPac). These pre-paid plans are very attractive as it offers customers good benefits without a contract to tie them down. If they are near to the end of their contract and the phone is working fine, a new pre-paid plan with free incoming call may offer more values to them.
An interesting find is the M1 SuperPac and Starhub Happy Star. They offer data plan and 24-hours free incoming calls so they are in-between pre-paid and post-paid plans. If you really compare the details, they are catered for travellers and adults who are working 9-6pm who cannot answer mobile during this period (ie. Hotel service staffs).
Last but not least, it is important to consider the validity of the card since its last top up. It will make a difference on what is the frequency of top-up. It is crucial if you seldom use the phone. So, how about getting a pre-paid card now?

article About The Best Prepaid Card for Singaporeans in West Malaysia - (all-vga-corner)

Update (27 Jan 2016): More Telcos have joined the competition and various factors are being considered. Many of the points below are still valid for your consideration. It is suggested that you read this before reading the new post.

Do I need a local prepaid SIM card?

Malaysia is the best getaway for Singaporeans despite increasing robbery incidents. However, Singaporeans are not daunted due to the ever increasing exchange rate versus Ringgit as Singapore Dollar becomes stronger over the years.
No matter if you are going to shop and pump petrol in Johor Bahru, enjoy a sweet vocation in Muar or Melaka or venture to Penang or Langkawi for holidays, you are constantly with your mobile to remain contactable. Roaming charges to dial back Singapore may range from S$0.60/min with S$10/mth roaming charges for postpaid customer or S$2/min for prepaid customers. The damage is higher if you are calling another friend who is travelling together with you in Malaysia who is using a Singapore mobile. Both sides are paying for roaming and the only way to reduce the bill is buying a prepaid local SIM card, especially for long or extended trips.
The obvious advantage of owning a prepaid SIM card is you do not need to pay for incoming calls. Need we say more?

The choices

There are 5 operators in Malaysia offering different prepaid services for travellers but not all the plans are suitable for Singaporeans. There are many Malaysians who are working outside their home states and buying a prepaid card is also their choice. Some plans are suitable for long terms use while many are suitable for short term use (ie Singaporeans). Below are the operators, their respective sites and unique selling points:
Happy � www.happy.com.my (lowest call out value for 15min @RM0.99)
Celcom � www.celcom.com.my (widest network coverage in Malaysia)
Digi � www.digi.com.my (auto reload of value)
Maxis � www.hotlink.com.my (3.5G data use)
U Mobile � www.u.com.my (per second billing)

The Needs

For a typical Singaporean, voice communication is all he/she needs. Ideally, we would like the following features for the prepaid SIM card:

1. Low startup cost to own a prepaid SIM card;
2. Low charge to call back Singapore;
3. Low charge to SMS to Singapore;
4. Low charge to call Malaysia landline or mobile;
5. Low charge to SMS a Malaysia mobile;
6. Low recharge value;
7. No expiry date of the SIM card;
8. Easy availability of recharge stations;
9. Good after-sales services;
10. Easy registration process;
11. Good coverage in city/rural areas; and
12. No cost to call the call center.

For Singapore drivers (GPS) or wish to surf the net via GPRS/3G/3.5G may have additional requirements on top of the above:

1. Good 3G/3.5G coverage;
2. Consistent link to network;
3. High bandwidth (both upload and download); and
4. Low cost in data plan.

Unfortunately, we can only wish the above but none of the operators meets all requirements. Therefore, we need to compromise and set different priorities for different needs.

For Singaporeans visiting city area (KL, Melaka, Johor, Penang etc)

Smaller companies are only focusing on city areas with exceptional good rates for voice and text communications.
U Mobile 018 charges RM0.42/min for voice or video call out rate nationwide in 1-sec block and RM0.08/SMS. Starting pack is RM6 with RM5 for 7 days. IDD call to Singapore costs only RM0.54/min (current promotion till 31 Dec). Minimum reload is RM10 for 10 days and calling to the call center is free. The use of 3G services (max 384kbps) is charged at RM0.01/kB which is not mentioned in the website. Free bundled VAS i.e. Voice Mail, SMS, CLIP, Call Wait, Call Hold, Missed Call Notification, Call Conferencing, Call Forwarding, auto activation of IDD are also thrown in to make this offer attractive.

Happy is another option with RM0.33/min and max at RM99 for 15min for voice call nationwide. You can reload any amount for 60 days validity. For long call, you only pay RM0.99 for 45min from 9am to 5pm. Starter Pack costs RM30 with RM30 value and reloading is easy. However, international call to Singapore costs RM5/min and RM0.33/min is charged for the call center. Clearly, Happy is not interested in Singaporeans.
U Mobile stands out as the perfect choice for Singapore who visit Malaysia for less than 7 days and only use voice communications with option for 3G services.

For Singaporeans who frequently visit sub-rural areas in Malaysia

There are 3 operators in this league. Since network coverage is the critical concern in sub-rural areas, we can only consider Celcom, Maxis and Digi. The interesting feature offered by the big boys are the friend concept where you can have friends at a discounted rate.
Celcom is the recognized leader of GSM coverage in west Malaysia and yet the network is below 80% of the entire Malaysia. This is reasonable considering the rural requirements for mobile use are non-existent so it is not cost effective to support these areas. Celcom has 3 different prepaid plans (Xpax, Blue and prepaid Broadband) to meet different needs. The top 3 advantages, besides widest coverage, over the competition are highest number of friends for discounted calls, lowest unlimited data value of RM6/day or RM20/7 days and RM50 for 2 years validity. In particularly, 2 years validity is a good offer for Singaporeans who frequent Malaysia because if you forget to top up, the card, together with the value inside, will vanish in thin air. For unlimited data over 7 days at RM20 is also good value considering a 5-star hotel will charge you RM20/day for in-house limited wifi. Drivers can also have a faster lock to the GPS with their smartphone with a-GPS function via 3G. One obvious shortcoming is Celcom restricts prepaid user to use 3G network which limits to 384kbps. For voice call, Celcom charges at 60 sec block compared to U Mobile's 1 sec block. The card will be suspended 100 days after last reload.
Hotlink is the 2^nd best option with reasonable coverage targeting many Malaysian teens. It prices itself close to the leader with slightly better values of RM0.33/min for local calls and RM0.35/min for outstation calls. A deeper look reveals that Hotlink's calls are much cheaper than Celcom and Digi over time. Moreover, it offers ad-hoc data plans at RM0.01/kB, RM8/day or RM25/7 days. The slightly higher cost is due to the 3.5G network offered by the network, which allows users to tap on the HSPDA network and surf at 7.2Mbps which is nearly 20 times faster than the nearest competition. The minimum top up is RM20 and RM33 for 1 year validity. IDD to Singapore is charged at RM0.5/min.
Digi is last player which fails to threaten the leaders. It offers RM0.36/min flat at 30 sec block and RM0.10/SMS nationwide. It charges unlimited data at RM5/day via EDGE (max 384kbps). IDD call to Singapore is RM0.28/min and minimum recharge is RM10. It also offers RM30 for 1 year validity and suspension is 90 days after last reload. There is no highlight in its prepaid offering and therefore should be avoided by Singaporeans.

Conclusions

It is clear that U Mobile 018 is suitable for Singaporeans who seldom visit Malaysia and just pop into the city with infrequent data needs. For frequent travellers, Celcom (Xpax or Blue) seems to be the clear winner for network coverage while Maxis's Hotlink is the clear winner for data if you need 3.5G speed.
If your family members are travelling with you, why not get them a U Mobile 018 prepaid to contact them when you are lost in the crowded city areas? If you are driving into West Malaysia, a prepaid Hotlink card enables you to search for the online review of a food outlet. You can even track your friends' locations via GPS and 3.5G combined live on your mobile in real time. Try them with your Singapore postpaid SIM card and I assure you will faint after receiving the exorbitant roaming charges.