Landlord wants to keep my whole deposit for 'normal wear and tear', legit?

Repainting after 2 years is genuinely a grey area because many tenancy agreements DO include a repainting clause, so check yours carefully first. If it's in the contract you signed, unfortunately you may have agreed to it. But 'cleaning' and general wear should not eat your whole 2-month deposit. Try negotiating: offer to accept a fair repaint cost deduction and get the rest back. If landlord is unreasonable, you can file a claim at the Tribunal Tuntutan Pengguna, it's cheap and you don't need a lawyer. Lesson learned for next time, always read the deposit and repaint clauses before signing.

This happened to me twice already. In Malaysia there's actually no specific tenancy act protecting tenants strongly, so a lot depends on your agreement wording. Normal wear and tear like faded paint or minor scuff marks technically should NOT be deducted, but landlords push their luck. What saved me the second time: I had taken photos and a video of the whole unit condition on move-in AND move-out day, timestamped. I sent it to the landlord politely and mentioned I'd file at the Tribunal for Consumer Claims if needed. Deposit came back in 3 days. Document everything, that's your best weapon. Consider getting proper advice if the amount is large.