KUCHING: The Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) programme, launched in January 2007, has seen a significant surge in interest.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, the number of approved applications reached 411 in 2022, a substantial increase from the 224 approved in 2019.
However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there were only 66 approved applicants in 2020 and 27 in 2021.
Last August, we witnessed a surge of interest, partly due to several cases being brought forward from 2021. This translated into a growth rate of 1,422 per cent in 2022. The highest number of applicants came from Hong Kong, followed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Japan, the ministry told the New Sarawak Tribune.
It typically receives 40 to 50 applications per month. However, the increase to almost 200 applicants in August caused delays in the 90-day approval process.
Unlike the MM2H programme, which caps participation at one per cent of the Malaysian population, the S-MM2H programme does not have a quota.
We know that some applicants are genuine candidates who work and reside in Sarawak based on their application screening and earlier visas approved in 2017. However, we believe that many have applied for S-MM2H because it is more flexible than the federal government’s visa programme, it added.
The S-MM2H programme’s attractive features include its lower fixed deposit requirements of RM150,000 for individuals and RM300,000 for couples, as well as its more lenient residency requirements compared to the federal government’s MM2H programme.
It is no surprise that applicants would prefer it over the latter, said rge ministry, citing the programme’s allowance for passholders to live in both Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.
This feature is expected to apply to the Sabah MM2H, which has similar criteria to S-MM2H and will open for registration later. The Bornean states’ MM2H programmes have this feature due to both states having autonomy over their immigration policies.
However, the recent intervention by the Immigration Department to prevent S-MM2H passholders from staying long-term in Peninsular Malaysia has raised concerns over whether Malaysia is prepared for a potential exodus of its foreign resident community and the reasons behind it.
Foreigners may also view the intervention as another policy flip-flop, adding to uncertainty surrounding the future of the S-MM2H programme.
