Knowledge you should grab

This blog is to help you gain more knowledge about estate planning and all-you-should-know when having your estate planned.
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我的遗嘱见证人可以是外国人吗?

近年来,随着马来西亚成为越来越多外国人选择居住、工作、退休或投资的热门国家,像“马来西亚第二家园计划”(MM2H)这类政府计划也吸引了许多外籍人士长期定居. 因此,我们经常收到一个有关遗嘱的问题: “我的外国朋友或伴侣可以做我的遗嘱见证人吗?” “如果我的见证人不住在马来西亚,会有问题吗?” 从法律角度来看,这是可以的,但在实践上仍有一些需要注意的事项,尤其是在你去世后,亲人申请遗产认证书(Grant of Probate)的时候.   法律怎么说? 根据《1959年遗嘱法令》(Wills Act 1959),一份有效的马来西亚遗嘱必须符合以下条件: 由立遗嘱人亲自签名; 由两位见证人在立遗嘱人面前见证并签名; 见证人不能是遗嘱的受益人,也不能是受益人的配偶. 法律并没有规定见证人必须是马来西亚人或居住在马来西亚的人。 但问题是:选择外国见证人,在实际操作上是否可行?   如果我的见证人在国外,会怎么样? 假设你在马来西亚立了遗嘱,并请了你的外国朋友作为见证人。多年后你去世,你的执行人需要开始申请遗产认证书。 这时,可能会出现一个问题:法庭需要见证人出具“见证人宣誓书”(Affidavit of Attesting Witness)来确认遗嘱的签署是合法有效的。 如果见证人还在马来西亚,那就很简单。他们只需去找宣誓 (Commissioner for Oaths)签署就可以了。   但如果见证人身在国外,就可能出现以下情况: 若在英联邦国家(如澳洲、英国、新加坡): 通常没问题。见证人可以在当地的公证人(Notary Public)面前签署文件,马来西亚法庭通常会接受。不过过程可能比较复杂和昂贵,例如需要支付公证费用、文件需要通过快递寄送,甚至还需通过大使馆认证。 若在非英联邦国家: 程序可能更繁琐。马来西亚法庭未必接受相关文件,可能需要更复杂的法律程序,导致申请延迟、费用更高,也让家人更烦恼。   虽然法律允许外国人作为见证人,但从实际角度来看,麻烦相对来说会更多。 为了减轻家属在你离世后的麻烦,我们建议你选择以下类型的见证人: 居住在马来西亚; 在需要时容易联络到的人。 就算你本人是居住在马来西亚的外国人,我们也建议你找本地人作为见证人,以避免将来不必要的麻烦。   想了解更多关于外国人与马来西亚遗嘱的相关问题?可以查看: 外国人可以在马来西亚立遗嘱吗? 了解非马来西亚人如何根据本地法律有效立遗嘱。 外国人可以成为遗嘱执行人和遗嘱的受益人吗? 了解外国人担任执行人或受益人的法律与实际的挑战。   您可以点击此处与我们的法律顾问预约会面:https://calendly.com/finex-and-co-legacy-advisory/tea-talk-with-legal-expert

Can a Foreigner be my Will’s witness?

In recent years, Malaysia has become an increasingly attractive destination for foreigners to live, work, retire, or invest. With government programmes such as Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), more and more expatriates are choosing to make Malaysia their long-term home. As more foreigners settle down here, we’ve been getting a common estate planning question: “Can...

Is your insurance nominee a trust or non-trust nominee? Will the payout really go to your chosen beneficiaries?

When you purchase life insurance, ensuring that your loved ones receive the payout as intended is critical. However, the smooth distribution of the payout depends on the type of nomination you choose. Let’s explore the different types of nominations and how they affect the distribution of your insurance payout.   Making a Nomination in Malaysia...

Who will become the legal guardian of the children now that Barbie Hsu has passed away?

The sudden passing of Taiwanese celebrity Barbie Hsu (Da S /大S) has sparked discussions about the legal guardianship of her two children. She had two children with her ex-husband, a Chinese businessman, while residing in Taipei, Taiwan, with her current husband, a Korean celebrity. This complex family dynamic raises a crucial question: Who will become...