KUALA LUMPUR: New terms and conditions may be introduced when Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme is reactivated, the Dewan Rakyat heard today.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the programme, which has been frozen due to the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in border closures, would allow the government to review various aspects.
They include the criteria, conditions and incentives for the programme which allowed foreigners to stay in Malaysia for 10 years.
"This is the best time for the government to study the programme, which has never been reviewed since its inception in 2002.
"Following the freeze, Motac (Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry) as the coordinator unable to process new applications which involved various agencies. The documents submitted by the applications have been returned to them while we study possibilities of introducing new terms and conditions when the programme is reactivated soon.
"Applicants who have paid deposits can apply for a refund from the agents they have engaged. The review would take into consideration the security, real estate, wellbeing and the country's economic impact.
"The government must renew the terms and condition for the betterment of the system," she said in reply to a question by Maria Chin Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya).
To a supplementary question by Datuk Salim Sharif (BN-Jempol), Nancy said the country recorded over RM2.7 billion revenue through the programme in 2018, RM2.5 billion last year and RM214 million this year. The highest number of participants came from China, followed by Japan, Bangladesh and Korea, she said.