SIBU, Dec 19 — Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has taken Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin to task over the latter’s recent statement about Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.
Tiong, the federal tourism, arts and culture minister, described Mas Ermieyati’s remarks as ‘causing confusion and can spark racial issue’.
“The MM2H programme generally aims to improve Malaysia’s economic recovery by being open to applicants from all over the world,” he said in a statement yesterday.
In this regard, Tiong questioned the real meaning behind Mas Ermieyati’s statement about the programme only favouring applicants from China.
“What is she trying to convey through provocation by choosing one particular country?
“Every applicant, regardless of nationality, must meet the requirements for the Platinum category before being allowed to apply for Permanent Resident (PR) status,” he pointed out.
“Was Mas Ermieyati deliberately doing racial provocation and deliberately trying to damage racial harmony in this country?”
“Her statement is clearly seen as threatening the harmony of the people of various ethnicities in Malaysia and making our country a laughing stock of the international community.”
Tiong said the public clearly knew that every application to participate in the MM2H programme must pass a very strict review process, including financial screening, background checks and other relevant requirements.
“If the applicant had ever committed any misconduct or violated any of the terms of the programme, the privilege would be revoked.
“Mas Ermieyati’s motive for making these baseless comments shows her low quality as a member of Parliament,” he slammed.
