By Karen Bong
KUCHING, March 18: The Sarawak Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) programme enforced a rigorous screening process to prevent individuals from exploiting the initiative for illegal activities.
Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah emphasised that applications are thoroughly scrutinised, particularly for backgrounds involving diseases, financial fraud, money laundering, scams, or prostitution, with those failing to meet requirements facing rejection.
To uphold the integrity of the programme, Abdul Karim himself will chair monthly vetting meetings to ensure only qualified applicants are approved.
“We don’t want people abusing this programme as a loophole to engage in illicit activities. Sarawak is a welcoming destination, but only for those who meet the criteria,” he stressed at a press conference on What About Kuching (WAK) 2025 at his ministry in Baitulmakmur Building today.
Abdul Karim highlighted the success of S-MM2H, noting a sharp increase in applications with last year alone saw 560 applications, though the total number of individuals was higher as many applied together with their families.
“The number of applicants from 2007 to 2019 is now matched by the total received between 2020 and 2024. This surge reflects foreigners’ confidence and strong interest in making Sarawak their second home,” he said.
Abdul Karim pointed out that Sarawak leads Malaysia in S-MM2H applications, with numbers growing significantly.
He further revealed that applications from China now outnumber those from traditional sources like the United States, Europe, and Singapore, while a steady flow of interest continues from Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
To better manage this demand, the Sarawak government now holds full authority over the programme’s licensing and approval process following federal amendments.
Unlike in the past, where applications had to be referred to the Malaysia Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC), Sarawak now oversees the process directly, working with agencies such as the police, Immigration Department, Health Department, and the Premier of Sarawak’s Office.
“The terms and conditions for eligibility have been simplified compared to Peninsular Malaysia. Effective Jan 1, 2025, the fixed deposit requirement is set at RM500,000, which now covers a family unit, including spouses and children. Previously, individuals were required to deposit RM150,000 each,” he explained. — DayakDaily
