SIM Cards and Bank Accounts (Kuala Lumpur)

I am coming to KL in four weeks from the USA and will be there for two years. Any advice on what SIM card to purchase (I will, initially, need to make phone calls to my family back in the states-an older generation who are not Skype savvy)? Also, can US citizens open bank accounts in Malaysia? Recent IRS regulations have made it next to impossible to open accounts in some countries.

Thank you!