During my recent trip to Genting Highlands, I used a Malaysia SIM card bought from International Card Center (ICC) via Qoo10. It worked perfectly throughout the trip, and this is my full review of ICC and the SIM card!
International Card Center (ICC)
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International Card Center (ICC) is a mobile shop located in Sim Lim Tower. I came across this company on Qoo10 when I was trying to find a Malaysia SIM card for my Genting trip.
Initially, I was worried that this might be some dodgy mobile store, but its high rating and thousands of positive reviews on Qoo10 convinced me otherwise.
Before buying the SIM card, I messaged Vivian (ICC contact person listed on Qoo10) over Whatsapp to ask if I could self-collect the card on the same day of purchase. She replied promptly that this was possible if I chose store pick up.
The company has a store on Lazada as well.
Package C (5GB Data + MYR 4 Calls)
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As you can see from the table above, ICC offers several types of SIM card. After looking through the various options, I decided to get Package C. After discounts, the price came down to just $9.99.
I chose this SIM card because I felt it was the most value-for-money option. The SIM card offers 5GB of data for 4G/ 3G networks, MYR 4 for calls, and free incoming calls. The mobile provider is Celcom.
If the 5GB runs out, I would still have 10GB of data, albeit at a woefully slow speed of 64kbps. This is still faster than dial up internet (56 Kbps), but I probably can’t do much with it other than using Whatsapp.
But since my trip was only for 3D2N, this wouldn’t be a problem at all. By the end of my holiday I had only used about 800MB.
The SIM card call rate is $0.30 per minute for both local calls within Malaysia and calls back to Singapore. If you finish using the MYR 4, you can top up the balance in Malaysia convenience stores.
On hindsight, for my short trip, I should have gotten the Package D SIM card instead. It offers 2.2GB of 4G data (more than enough), MYR 3 for local calls, free incoming calls, and 10GB of 64kbps data. After discounts, this costs just $6.99.
The SIM card comes with a free SIM card adaptor too!
How To Buy
It is really easy to buy this Malaysia SIM card. Just go to the Qoo10 ICC store and select your preferred Malaysia SIM card (see table with the different packages above).
Do not worry about the retail price of $35. Discount coupons will be applied automatically and the basic SIM card should cost just $6.99.
If you choose the store pickup option, there is no delivery fee.
Qxpress costs $3. This is a very reliable delivery method which I have used many times. And you won’t lose your package because you can track it.
I wouldn’t recommend using the free Singpost delivery, especially in light of their recent delivery fiascos.
Store Pick Up
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everything was kept in this nifty envelope
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so sweet
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many useful details
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nice SIM card holder
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SIM card front
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SIM card back
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SIM card adaptor
I chose the store pick up option. After buying my SIM cards, I messaged Vivian to confirm if they were ready for collection. The next day, I went down to Sim Lim Tower to collect them.
The friendly staff at the shop passed me the SIM cards in a nifty envelope. It even had “Have a nice trip!” written on the back, which was a nice touch.
The envelope contained an A4 letter printed with the SIM card details, instructions on how to use the SIM card, how to make local calls, how to check credit balance, troubleshooting of network settings, etc. It was very useful!
There was also a free SIM Card Adaptor (for all three “mini”, “micro”, and “nano” sizes), as well as an iPhone SIM eject pin.
The Malaysia SIM card was stored in a nice ICC holder. I must say ICC really pays a lot of attention to detail!
How to Unlock SIM Card
If you are unlucky and your SIM card is locked by your carrier, you will NOT be able to use this SIM card.
Personally I do not have this problem and have always been able to use foreign SIM cards without any issue. However, if your SIM is locked, below are the steps to unlock it:
1. First, check whether your phone is indeed SIM locked. Insert a SIM card from another carrier (borrow from your friends or family) and restart the phone. If there is a signal and you can make outgoing calls, then your SIM is not locked. If not, proceed to step 2*.
2. Contact your carrier (M1, Singtel, etc) and request for an unlock. Repeat step 1 to check that your phone is indeed unlocked.
*remember to thank the person whom you borrowed the SIM card from!
M1 Data Passport
If you’re an M1 subscriber, you can consider using the M1 Data Passport, which will let you use your plan’s existing data overseas. I came across this plan recently, and find it to be an attractive alternative.
For Malaysia, you would need to pay a (non-recurring) monthly fee of $10. This means that even if you are going for less than 30 days, you would still need to pay the $10.
The upside of this plan is that it saves you the hassle of buying and changing SIM cards.
Conclusion
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we stayed connected in Genting thanks to ICC!
The wife and I were very happy with our Malaysia SIM cards from International Card Center (ICC). Their service was wonderful too. I highly recommend buying your SIM card from this company. As mentioned above, as an alternative, you can also consider the M1 Data Passport plan. Choosing between the two depends on your own preference and circumstances.
International Card Center Singapore (ICC)
Qoo10 ICC Store: Click here to go to the online store
Address: Sim Lim Tower #02-12 / #03-14, 10 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208787
Phone: +65 94781225 (Vivian)
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 11am – 7pm | Sat: 11am – 6pm | Sun & PH: Closed |
Facebook: www.facebook.com/iccsimcard