Who Am I
I am Kat, the author of BeyondTokyoBoleh.
I’m a Gen Z with a finance background and eventually built my career in finance in Tokyo.
BeyondTokyoBoleh is that journey
Why BeyondTokyoBoleh?
Along the way, I fell in love with two countries — Malaysia, and Japan. My goal is to achieve financial freedom so I can one day live between both countries.
Because of my parents’ health, I made the hard call to leave a high-paying job earlier than planned and move back to Kuala Lumpur. But giving up on my dreams was never an option.
“Boleh” is a Malay word, meaning I can do it.
Financial literacy is low in Malaysia!
Thanks to fintech, everyone can now borrow money, buy/sell shares easily. While this convenience has benefits, it has also fueled rising household debt, personal bankruptcies, and overtrading—where banks get fatter while our wallets get smaller.
As of end-March 2025, Malaysia’s household debt stood at RM1.65 trillion, equivalent to 84.3% of GDP. In other words,for every RM1 we earn, RM0.84 goes toward repaying debt. This is alarming!
Malaysia’s financial system is fundamentally solid, but we can—and should—do better. This is why I hope to share what I’ve learned from my profession, as well as from Japan, where the government has made sustained efforts to improve financial literacy.
How I invest
My goal is to achieve financial freedom so I can live between both countries. For that, I need a portfolio that generate sufficient passive income that cover my basic needs (in case I can’t find a job) and works for me no matter where I am. In short, I am a long term investor that focuses on cash flow and Capital Gains.
Long term investor
- Past: Stocks, Index ETFs
- Now: Index ETFs, Precious Metals (restricted to trade stocks from work)
- Future: Index ETFs, Precious Metals, Real Estate, Business
Cash Flow & Value Driven
- Precious Metals – Capital Gain
- Index ETFs – Capital Gain & Dividend
- Real Estate – Cash Flow focused
- Business – Cash Flow focused
Diversification
- Negative correlation between asset classes (e.g. – Equity vs Gold vs Real Estate)
- Geographically diversified
In short, you can learn about
- My journey towards financial freedom in KL
- Tips/ Ideas on financial planning & investing
- Fundamental financial knowledge that banks/brokers don’t want you to know
