Sarawak Second Home Program Approves 265 Applications in First Five Months of 2025

Ministerial takeover accelerated SMM2H: 1,901 approvals in 5 years versus 1,240 in previous 13 years under Immigration control.

Sarawak’s Malaysia My Second Home (SMM2H) program approved 265 applications between January and mid-May 2025, generating RM65.3 million (US$15.4 million) in fixed deposits.

Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah revealed this information to the state legislative assembly.

The program has shown steady growth in recent years, approving 542 applications in 2023. The minister noted that in 2024, the program approved 560 applications “with the applicants’ fixed deposits amounting to RM111.6 million,” highlighting the program’s continued growth trajectory.

At current rates, the program could exceed 700 approvals by year-end, representing a 26% increase over last year.

Chinese nationals continue to dominate the applicant pool with 513 total approvals since 2007, followed by the United Kingdom (384), Taiwan (277), Hong Kong (267), and the United States (262). These five nations comprise the largest contributing countries to the program.

The program launched in 2007 under the Sarawak Immigration Department, which approved 1,240 applications during its 13-year tenure through 2019. The transformation accelerated when Abdul Karim’s ministry assumed control in 2020, establishing the SMM2H Panel Coordination Committee.

The minister emphasized that his ministry made “several adjustments to enhance and make the program more attractive and competitive,” resulting in a surge of approvals.

While Sarawak’s 560 approvals in 2024 generated RM111.6 million, the federal MM2H program approved 782 applications, generating RM455.8 million (US$102 million) through its tiered Silver, Gold, and Platinum categories, demonstrating the different scales and structures of the two programs.

Within five years and four months of ministerial management, approved applications jumped to 1,901, bringing the total since inception to 3,141.

The program’s economic contribution has grown substantially under state management. Based on the first five months’ performance, 2025 deposits could exceed 2024 levels by 40%, representing the program’s strongest financial performance since inception.