PETALING JAYA: The new three-tier category for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, announced last Friday, is here to stay, assures Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (pic).

He said that the category, along with the requirements and conditions for issuing the MM2H visa, have been endorsed by a special committee on MM2H as permanent features and integral parts of the programme.

“The programme will not see changes in the coming years, regardless of the government or ministers,” he said.

“We don’t want flip-flopping on MM2H,” he added.

Tiong emphasised that the Malaysian government assures participants and guarantees the MM2H programme for the long term.

Under the newly announced MM2H programme, applicants are divided into three tiers: Platinum, Gold and Silver.

The Platinum category requires a fixed deposit of US$1mil, the Gold category requires US$500,000, and the Silver category requires US$150,000, along with specific criteria and conditions.

The Platinum category also has to pay a one-off RM200,000 fee, which allows them to work and invest in Malaysia, while the Gold and Silver categories have fees of RM3,000 and RM1,000, respectively. However, Gold and Silver MM2H visa holders are not allowed to work.

The MM2H visa is valid for 20 years for Platinum, 15 years for Gold and 5 years for Silver.

After the term expires, participants are required to renew it every five years. 

According to Tiong, the renewal fees are RM5,000 for Platinum, RM3,000 for Gold and RM1,500 for Silver. Only the principal holder of the MM2H visa is required to pay these fees.

Introduced in 2002, the MM2H programme allowed foreigners to purchase property and reside in Malaysia before it was temporarily frozen in August 2020 so that the Home Ministry and MOTAC (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture) could review the programme comprehensively.

The MM2H programme was reactivated on Aug 11, 2021, with revised conditions, after being put on hold for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the 2021 conditions, participants must spend at least 90 cumulative days in the country annually, have an offshore income of at least RM40,000 per month (increased from RM10,000), and maintain a fixed deposit account of at least RM1 million.

In 2021, there was criticism of how the programme worked.

Tiong also said that MM2H applicants cannot sell their property within 10 years of purchase.

However, if the applicant wishes to purchase a new property within that period, the original property must be sold, and the new property’s value must be higher than the original property’s value at the time of purchase.

“For instance, if the property purchased by a Platinum Category applicant is valued at RM2mil, the new ‘upgraded’ property must be higher than RM2mil,” he pointed out.

“Regardless of whether they are MM2H participants in the Platinum, Gold or Silver categories, their children cannot enrol in primary or secondary schools under the government system,” he said.

“However, they can continue their studies at Malaysian Higher Education Institutions certified by the Malaysian Government.”

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/06/19/new-three-tier-category-for-mm2h-here-to-stay