While it is almost every Malaysian football player's dream to play in the English Premier League, former West Ham United midfielder Peter Butler says staying in Malaysia while coaching in Singapore is as good as it gets. 

Butler, who once graced the Premiership in midfield battles against legends such as Paul Gascoigne, Bryan Robson and Paul Ince, now feels he has every reason to stay in Malaysia under the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. 

He coaches the Singaporean Armed Forces football team and runs a realty business in Bali. 

Previously known as the Silver Hair programme, the MM2H offers foreigners an opportunity to live in Malaysia for a period of 10 years by having a fixed deposit of US$75,000 (RM285,000) in a bank. They are allowed to withdraw the money after a year to buy a house or car, or invest in the local share market. 

MEMORIES: Ex-West Ham footballer Peter Butler and his wife, Michelle, holding his West Ham Premier League jersey while talking about his days as a footballer

“The programme really appealed to us and it has been great so far. Settling down in Kuala Lumpur was an ideal option for us especially when we consider our children’s education,” said the 40-year-old.  

Butler and his wife Michelle applied for the programme around September last year and this was approved in November.  

Their three children, Louie, 12, Chester, 10, and Rubie, 7, are now studying in The Alice Smith International School, which according to the Butlers offers an excellent all-round education at a fraction of the price compared to England.  

Having spent two years on and off in Malaysia since 2003 – 15 months in East Malaysia and nine months in Kuala Lumpur – Butler says that the first question his family and friends usually ask is “is it safe?” 

“They’re totally ignorant. Many people don’t understand Malaysia. They have misconceptions of this country. This country is as safe as ours, and the people are as friendly as you’ll ever be, without a doubt... And I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t call Malaysia our second home,” he said. 

“You can even compare it to London. Look at what happened there,” Michelle ventured to add, referring to the London bombings. 

“And when you talk about lifestyle, this just blows it out of the water! Here we have by far a superior lifestyle. If you ask me, I don’t miss England at all. I don’t. I think the only thing I really miss is the contact with sports,” said Butler.  

“In England, it’s a real obsession. It’s not just something you watch from an armchair or at a bar. You wake up on a Monday morning and sports just takes over your life, from football to rugby to cricket.  

“But in Malaysia, I have travelled to every state and it is such a beautiful country, and the people are so friendly. I can really see myself settling down here for the foreseeable future, plus the people here, especially the Malays, really love their football!” 

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: The Butlers outside their new home with their children (from left) Rubie, Loiue and Chester. - STARpix by JOEL CHAN

Malaysian football fans might remember Butler as the head coach who rejuvenated the Sabah team, and brought them to the pinnacle of the Super League – where matches usually draw crowds of 20-30 thousand, an experience Butler says he misses very much now that he’s not involved in the local leagues. 

“And in terms of food, here we go for Indian food a lot because it’s so good and much cheaper compared to England. My children love roti canai and would eat curry every night for dinner if they could! And the hotter the curry the better!” he said. 

Coming from a country known for its cold, damp weather, the Butlers gave further proof that the grass is greener on the other side by saying that they love the constant sunshine here, something which their friends back in England pay lots of money for by investing in holiday villas in sun-bathed Spain and Portugal; though they say the humidity here can be too much to bear. 

Although the Butlers could have chosen to stay in Singapore or Bali where it is more convenient for his business and coaching, his choice is clear. 

“Why would I want to go to Singapore and live in a condominium? Especially when there’s so much more to offer here in Malaysia?  

“We plan to stay here for as long as the MM2H programme will allow us to, which is 10 years, though you can never plan too far ahead because anything can happen.  

“By the time this programme expires, who knows my children might want to stay on here and apply for PR status? If they come to see this as their homeland, I wouldn’t mind at all!” 

Despite some initial hiccups, the Butlers have proven that it is not difficult to blend into this country, which is 10,000km away from their homeland. And that is partly because they can speak our Bahasa Malaysia fluently. 

“I actually speak Bahasa with Indonesian accent as I spent a year working there. My wife, Michelle and my kids picked up the language by attending classes and school,” explains Peter. 

“Speaking Bahasa is a big help when it comes to communicating with the locals. It’s good because it earns you a bit of respect, when people see that you’re trying. And it helps especially when you’re trying to get a taxi,” said Butler, citing an example of how a taxi driver demanded an exceptionally high fare for a 10-15minute drive, and was taken aback when he blurted out some Bahasa. 

“I told him ‘kau ingat saya ini bodoh?’ and he was just shocked.” 

Though their search to find a second home away from England has led the Butlers to greener pastures, they have also learned that though the grass is always greener on the other side, if you looked closely enough, there’re always rough patches. 

 Michelle still misses family and friends in the UK 

Despite their love for Malaysia, and Butler saying that he doesn’t miss the UK at all, Michelle, whose father was an England Rugby international, admits that she feels isolated at times, having moved to four different countries in as many years. 

“I miss the UK; I miss my friends. People we meet here are expatriates, so they’re always moving on. They’ll be here for a year or several months then just move to another country. Then I’ll just have to readjust, and I find that it’s really unsettling,” she said. 

Though she does have good friends here, and is starting to meet more people, most of them are just “bitty” friends who she just exchanges “hellos” with, but she still finds it very hard to cope as Butler is always on the road either in Bali or travelling down to Singapore.  

“He cannot understand the way I feel because he’s always busy. Whereas for me, I’m always home, and all I do is fetch the children from school, play a little golf or hit the gym during my free time. It really makes me feel isolated here,” she said.  

Of course, when his career was in full bloom, she also had to adjust to his change of clubs. 

“All I can do is just cope with it. I read me positive books and tell myself I have three young children and a good husband. And I can go back to UK when I want. 

“I speak to my mom and a friend in England three times a week. When I go back to UK for our annual six-week trip, I am always on the go, meeting up with friends and Peter’s three sisters,” she said, with a sense of both longing and joy apparent in her voice.