KOTA KINABALU: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew rebutted claims that she never attended federal-level meetings on the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.
Liew said the ministry had recorded her attendance at the meeting chaired by federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing in Putrajaya on May 11, 2023
"When I was not available, I sent representatives to attend other meetings called by the federal ministry.
"On Nov 6, 2023, my deputy permanent secretary 1 and a Sabah Tourism Board senior research officer attended the second meeting.
"The deputy permanent secretary 1 and the principal assistant secretary from the state ministry attended the third meeting on Nov 14, 2023."
On Dec 19, 2023, she said the then permanent secretary had attended the fourth meeting.
The deputy permanent secretary 1, the principal assistant secretary and STB senior research officer attended the fifth meeting on Jan 16.
"Out of the five meetings, the federal minister chaired three while the other two meetings were chaired by the secretary-general and deputy minister."
According to reports, none of the five meetings ever discussed MM2H, she said.
Liew said: "We were never invited for any meeting to discuss the programme."
On Sabah-MM2H programme, Liew said it was approved by the Sabah cabinet in 2023 and efforts continued to refine its criteria until last month.
"The ministry was entrusted with formulating and implementing the programme.
"We have been working on the terms and conditions for participation in the programme.
"For each of our meetings in Sabah with regard to Sabah-MM2H, my ministry had invited the federal ministry's Sabah office, state Immigration Department, police and Internal Affairs Office (under the Chief Minister's Department) to attend.
"We were prepared to launch the programme on June 1.
"However, to our dismay and shock, the federal ministry suspended the operations of all licensed agents in processing new applications, with immediate effect.
"The ministry issued a directive dated May 27 to all licensed agents handling MM2H applications, including those in Sabah and Sarawak, to cease operations."
She said the ministry's decision caught stakeholders by surprise, particularly agents, purchasers, potential investors and the Sabah cabinet.
"The ministry has never discussed its decision with the Sabah government.
"In view of this, my ministry wrote to the federal ministry on May 28 to appeal its decision to suspend the operations of licensed agents, especially Sabah agents, some of whom hold valid licences approved and issued by the federal ministry.
"We had also stated in our letter that failing which, my ministry will appoint and authorise state representatives to process applicants for Sabah-MM2H."
Sabah will proceed with its Sabah-MM2H programme despite the postponement by the federal ministry.
Liew said Sabah and Sarawak had a different policy.
"We concur with Sarawak's Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, Datuk Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, that Sabah and Sarawak have our own conditions for our programme.
"So we (Sabah) will proceed accordingly."
Liew said that on May 31, the state ministry was informed that no one was allowed to process applications for Sabah-MM2H until further notice by the federal ministry.