KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, has announced that the government is considering relaxing some requirements for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. This move is in accordance with the Budget 2024 announcement from last year, where Putrajaya expressed its desire to enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of the programme.
Currently, there are 56,066 active MM2H pass holders as of Jan 31 this year, with principals numbering at 27,759 and dependents at 28,307. Among these pass holders, China leads the way with a total of 24,765, followed by countries such as South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, the United States, Singapore, India, and Australia.
Tiong mentioned that the Tourism Ministry, together with the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department, is in the process of refining and detailing proposals to enhance the requirements of the programme. This is being done with input and feedback from stakeholders and industry players in order to increase the number of participants and attract more tourists and foreign investors to Malaysia.
Some of the conditions being examined include age eligibility, financial capability, minimum residency period, MM2H pass duration, and ease of owning residential properties. Tiong shared this information in a parliamentary written reply on Tuesday, responding to Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah’s query about the latest MM2H figures and potential improvements to the programme.
Once the new conditions are finalized at the ministry level, they will be presented to the Cabinet for approval before implementation. Additionally, to uphold national security, applicants must provide a Certificate of Good Conduct for themselves and their dependents, validated by authorities in their country of origin or current residence.
