Working from my kampung — how I handled the connectivity and family expectations
by Zul Izzat·May 19, 2026
Moved back to Kelantan for 5 months to help with a family matter while keeping my KL-based remote job. Here's the real talk.
Connectivity: Unifi fibre reached our area but the speeds were inconsistent. Upgraded to a dual-band router and set aside a specific ethernet port and stable connection for work calls. Celcom 4G was my backup. It worked about 90% of the time, the 10% was stressful.
Family expectations: The hardest part. When you're physically home, the assumption is that you're available. I had honest conversations about what my work hours actually required and set up a physical door (we added a simple curtain for visual signal) for calls. It took 2–3 weeks for the family to adjust.
What surprised me: The mental reset of being around family and in a quieter environment actually improved my focus during designated work hours. It wasn't the productivity disaster I feared.
Would do it again. The infrastructure is the main constraint, not impossible, just requires deliberate management.