Malaysian Govt. Vows to Ease MM2H Conditions Amid 85% Drop in Applications

---

Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism this week revealed that the Malaysia My 2nd Home (MM2H) program had received 2,164 applications since the new rules took effect in late 2021. Of those, it had approved 1,905, or about 88%.

Following a two-year pause resulting from a political turf war that officially began in July 2020 but which in earnest began when the government started rejecting all applications in November 2019, the MM2H reopened in September 2021 with quadrupled income requirements and far more onerous residency and deposit requirements. According to program agents, this drove a 90% reduction in applications.

This week’s figures from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MoTAC) confirm agents’ suspicions: In the 22 months since November 2021, the average monthly application volume has been 98, an 85% reduction compared to the monthly average from 2019.

Since the new MM2H rules took effect at the federal level, the alternative and far cheaper MM2H program in Sarawak, a state that enjoys autonomy over migration policy, has surged by 2,800%.

Southeast Asian Long-Stay Visa Comparison Chart

When tabling the 2024 Budget in Parliament on October 13th, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reiterated his government’s intentions to ease conditions for the MM2H program (first signaled in June in response to dismal performance) but did not provide further details.

The Minister of MoTAC also stated that “to ensure MM2H is attractive and competitive, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) together with the Home Ministry continues to review the existing requirements of the program.”

MoTAC this week also revealed that Malaysia’s Premium Visa Program (PViP), a program that curiously exists in parallel to the MM2H while having nearly the same requirements, had garnered only 57 applications since opening a year ago. Of these, 28 have received approvals so far.

IMI Pros who can help with Southeast Asian residency programs