Malaysia’s My Second Home (MM2H) program processed 30,303 applications between 2015 and 2024, approving 22,282 foreign nationals seeking to establish homes in the Southeast Asian nation, according to the New Straits Times.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing disclosed the figures in a parliamentary written reply to Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin. The data reveal a program that reached its zenith in 2019 before collapsing under pandemic pressures.
Peak performance came that year, generating 7,948 applications and 3,598 approvals. By 2021, the program had virtually stalled, recording merely 100 applications and 77 approvals as COVID-19 restrictions paralyzed international mobility.
Chinese nationals dominated the applicant pool throughout the decade. Chinese investors submitted 15,053 applications and secured 10,830 approvals, claiming nearly half of all successful cases during the period.
Hannah Ma of Globevisa attributes China’s overwhelming numbers to the program’s initial popularity among Chinese applicants. However, Ma observes that “the program’s interest waned in recent years due to policy changes and global challenges, leading to a decline in applications.”
South Korea captured second position among source markets, filing 2,901 applications that yielded 2,056 approvals. Japan followed closely behind at 2,057 applications and 1,675 approvals, while Bangladesh recorded 1,669 applications resulting in 1,081 approvals.
British applicants completed the top five. The United Kingdom generated 994 applications, securing 747 approvals from Malaysian authorities.
Applications have begun climbing again, though Ma characterizes the trend as “a cautious revival of interest.”
Competition from neighboring jurisdictions now threatens Malaysia’s position, as Ma notes that “the MM2H program remains an attractive option” but “faces stiff competition from other Asian programs like those in Hong Kong and Singapore, which are currently hotter and may overshadow MM2H’s appeal.”
Ma questions “whether MM2H can regain its former robust status,” though she remains “hopeful for its future potential” despite the mounting competitive pressures from rival programs across the region.
