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By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Aug 29: Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts (MTCP) Sarawak Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah states that his ministry expects Sarawak to meet a target of 1,000 Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) approvals by the end of this year, as the S-MM2H Management and Online Application System (MOAS) has been launched.
Abdul Karim then pointed out that from January to August of this year, a total of 446 participants were approved.
“There is a surge in applicants in Sarawak as the State has stuck to its minimum requirement for applicants to place a fixed deposit of RM150,000 for individuals and possess a monthly income of RM7,000 for individuals as compared to the national MM2H where applicants must have a minimum savings of RM1 million and liquid assets of RM1.5 million.”
He went on to say that his ministry recently developed the S-MM2H Management and Online Application System (MOAS) with SAINS (Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd) to facilitate the overall application process covering daily operating functions.
“The online application system took off on June 1 where submission will be processed online by MTCP and Department of Immigration Malaysia, Sarawak
(JIMS).
“Since the SMM2H system went live, the Ministry has received a total of 88 via online application,” he said in his speech during the launch of the S-MM2H MOAS at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today.
He further stated that the system is a tool for MTCP and the Immigration Department of Malaysia Sarawak (JIMS) to monitor the status of S-MM2H participants and generate useful statistical data for analysis and research.
“Besides that, it is also used to handle operating functions, including application, submissions, and application processing by officers of MTCP and JIMS. For rejected applicants, they can resubmit new applications online.”
He added that, in addition to the online system, the Ministry will still accept physical or over-the-counter applications.
“Any who wish to still apply physically, we will still entertain until such time that the system is already perfect, then probably we will come to a time when we might just receive applications via online.”
Furthermore, Abdul Karim expressed hope that the system will shorten the time required for approval processes and make the overall processes more effective and efficient.
Earlier, the Tourism Minister mentioned that since adopting the MM2H programme in 2007, the Ministry has approved a total of 2,190 participants to date.
“With the refinement of requirements from Sept 1, 2022, there were 411 successful applicants in 2022, an increase of 1,422 per cent in the number of successful applications as compared to the year 2021,” he noted.
Furthermore, Abdul Karim, who is also Youth, Sports, And Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) Sarawak Minister, revealed that the top 10 countries since S-MM2H programme’s implementation in 2007 are United Kingdom (312), China (277), Taiwan (201), Hong Kong (193), Singapore (168), United States of America (161), South Korea (129), Australia (99), Indonesia (96), and Japan (91).
During a press conference held after the event, when asked which countries Sarawak does not accept for the S-MM2H, Abdul Karim stated that Malaysia does not have diplomatic relations with only two countries: North Korea and Israel.
Also present at the event were MTCP deputy minister Datuk Sebastian Ting, MTCP permanent secretary Datu Sherrina Hussaini and others. — DayakDaily
