China leads applicants for Sarawak's MM2H programme

KUCHING, March 19 — The Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) programme is attracting a lot of interest from around the world. Recently, China has become the leading country for applications, according to Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the state’s Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts. Abdul Karim noted that in previous years, most applicants came from the United States, Europe, and Singapore. However, there has been a significant rise in applications from China over the last two months. Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore have also shown encouraging numbers. He mentioned that the S-MM2H applications are reviewed monthly. Each application is carefully assessed, and some may be rejected if the applicants do not meet the criteria. This includes concerns related to health and background checks. Abdul Karim stressed that the program must not be misused by individuals involved in illegal activities. Last year, the program received 560 applications, which is a noticeable increase compared to the years between 2007 and 2019. This suggests that more foreigners are considering Sarawak as a desirable place for a second home. In addition, Abdul Karim announced that Sarawak now has full control over permits and licensing for S-MM2H agents. Previously, these applications were managed by the federal Ministry of Tourism. Lastly, starting this year, new applicants must now place a fixed deposit of RM500,000. This is a change from the previous requirement of RM150,000 per individual, which has now been raised to RM500,000 per family.