Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Ministry of Tourism Culture and Environment will go ahead and appoint qualified representatives to help successful Sabah-MM2H applicants following the sudden suspension of the programme by the Federal Ministry on May 27.
It’s Minister, Datuk Christina Liew, said Sabah can no longer wait as it has been preparing since 2023 and was ready three months ago.
She said the state would be losing out on expatriates who would opt for other Southeast Asian countries with far simpler procedures.
“We were supposed to roll out the programme this June…We are not superseding the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) but we are appealing to them for a review.
“If there is no approval within these few days then we have no choice but to proceed with the alternative.
“The cancellation was Motac’s prerogative. Anything tourism related, they are the authority and this includes the licensing agents.
“When they said no, many agents could not do anything even when they were already in the middle of processing the applications,” she told the press on Friday.
Christina says Sabah’s only option is to count on her Ministry.
She said any foreigner can buy a home in Sabah as long as they meet the RM600,000 and above requirement.
She said it’s only if they wanted to participate in the Sabah Malaysia My Second Home programme that certain conditions like payment deposits must be checked.
“Putrajaya requires that a licensed agent sell this. Then what do you want me to do? I’m not involved with the licensing agencies. They are all directly registered under Motac,” she said.
In Kuching, Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah urged the Federal Government to respect the state’s endorsement of the MM2H programme and its policies.
“(This matter) should be discussed nicely, and not be about one party (the tourism ministry) bulldozing the rights (of MM2H),” he told reporters.
He also said Sarawak would take matters into its own hands by chairing MM2H-related meetings.
On April 20, Bernama reported Karim as saying that MM2H programme agents in Sarawak were unable to renew their business licences.
He said without these licences, the agents could not accept applications from interested people worldwide who wanted to make Sarawak their second home.
Malaysian Tourism Federation President Datuk Tan Kok Liang said it fully supports any Sabah Government initiative to appoint and authorise local based agents to market and process MM2H applications.
“After all, internal immigration is under the state’s purview under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
“Motac’s licensing under the current landscape is outdated and its delay is stifling the economic progress of Sabah and Sarawak, particularly the property sector in both states which have been recognised under the 2022 Constitution Amendment in parliament as among three equal partners, besides peninsula.
“The property sector is also a key economic driver. Let the State take over the MM2H initiative and hasten the processing to boost up local consumption and spending,” he told Daily Express.
Tan also said the Federal Tourism Minister cannot arbitrarily decide to freeze the MM2H licensing and processing.
“The stakeholders have a right to know the reasons for such action, unless he has such authority and its exercise is justified and in the best interests of the nation.”
