KUCHING, June 2 ― Application for the Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) programme is now available online starting yesterday (June 1), said Datuk Sebastian Ting.

The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts said this is to enable applications to be handled more efficiently and faster approvals following digitalisation of the application process.

He pointed out that the state had received a favourable number of applications for S-MM2H with a total of 231 applications approved this year.

"A total of 111 of which was just approved yesterday,” he said at a welcoming dinner for a group of Chinese investors hosted by YAST Group here last night.

Ting noted that between 2007 to 2019, S-MM2H had approved 1,240 applications with an average of 103 approvals per year.

"Despite the setback caused by the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, there were still 66 and 27 approvals in 2020 and 2021 respectively,” he said.

He said with the global pandemic situation improving and countries gradually reopening their borders the following year, applications for the programme had surged to 411.

"Last year, out of the 411 approved applications, the highest number of applicants came from Hong Kong, China totalling 69 people, followed by the United States (59), United Kingdom (50), Singapore (42), Japan (35), China (25), South Korea (20), Australia (17), Canada (12), and France (12).”

Ting said S-MM2H, one of the key development projects for the ministry, has excellent potential for growth.

"To put it in perspective, the S-MM2H programme can be seen as a goose that lays golden eggs for the tourism industry in Sarawak.

"This is not only because Sarawak has favourable living conditions in terms of climate, geographical environment, and cultural qualities, but also because when foreigners apply to participate in S-MM2H, they must deposit a fixed sum of money in a bank.

"In addition to purchasing properties, and cars, and enrolling their children in schools, their visits to Sarawak will inevitably inject vitality into the economy, stimulate hotel occupancy rates, and unlock the untapped economic potential,” he said.

He said S-MM2H has been expanded to attract individuals aged 40 to 49 who only need to fulfil an additional condition, namely to purchase a residential property of at least RM600,000 in Sarawak.

"Approved applicants are required to stay in Sarawak for at least 30 days each year.

"Individuals are professionals or investors, they may be allowed to work, invest, and engage in business activities in Sarawak subject to the approval of the Sarawak government,” he said.

S-MM2H is open to people from all countries where upon approval, participants will be granted a 5+5 visa.

"This means that they can apply for a renewal after five years and then another five-year extension.

"After ten years, they will need to reapply,” said Ting.

He said in the future, the state can intensify its promotional efforts and of the potential markets to explore is China which has a population of 1.4 billion.

"Therefore, we plan to promote the S-MM2H program in China this year,” he said.

He also said that the planned charter flight services will bring mutual economic benefits that will complement the state’s tourism industry.

"The success of the S-MM2H programme and the charter flight plan is what we eagerly anticipate.

"Through collaboration and cooperation, we hope to foster more cultural exchanges and generate more efficient economic benefits between the two regions,” he said.

Among those present were Deputy State Secretary Datu Hii Chang Kee, Consul-General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuching Raden Sigit Witjaksono, Sarawak Business Federation deputy president Datuk Philip Ting, and YAST Group founder Esther Law. ― Borneo Post