PETALING JAYA: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture will set up a task force to speed up the approval process of the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.
Its minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi said the task force would have representatives from various government agencies, including the Immigration Department and police. Its setup is expected to commence in March and will be finalised by July.
“With this task force, we will be able to complete all 3,727 applications within four months,“ Mohamaddin said, adding that the backlog in the applications date back last year.
Of the 3,727 applications received, 894 applications had been handed to the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) for approval. The number of applications received in 2019 is 668. The number of applications received annually is 6,000 on an average since the inception of MM2H in 2002.
“Since the beginning of last year, the approval of MM2H applications fall under the jurisdiction of KDN,“ Mohamaddin said.
“KDN will give its approval after security screenings.”
MM2H is a programme by the Tourism Ministry which allows foreigners to stay in Malaysia for 10 years.
Foreigners who are able fulfil certain criteria are eligible for the programme. They are allowed to bring a spouse, an unmarried child under the age of 21, and parents who are over 60 years old.
MM2H applications have been received from China, Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, India and Pakistan.
Up to 2018 it is estimated that over 40,000 foreigners from 131 countries are in the country under MM2H.
