Kuching: Effective January 1 of next year, the Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) program will require applicants to meet new criteria, as announced by State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. One of the key changes is that applicants must be citizens of countries maintaining diplomatic relations with Malaysia and must be aged 30 and above. Additionally, applicants will need to open a fixed deposit account with a local bank in Sarawak, with a required amount of RM500,000 for each application, including spouses and dependents.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, S-MM2H pass holders must also fulfill a minimum annual stay of 30 days in Sarawak, which is a condition for the extension or renewal of their visas. The pass duration remains at five years, with the option to renew for an additional five years. Since the Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Ministry took control of the S-MM2H program from the Sarawak Immigration Departmen
t in 2020, a total of 1,462 participants have been approved by the MTCP’s Panel Committee.
The number of S-MM2H participants saw a 22.90 percent increase, rising from 441 in 2022 to 542 in 2023. In 2023, participants placed fixed deposits totaling RM56.7 million in Sarawak local banks. As of August this year, 386 participants have been approved, with fixed deposits amounting to RM77.55 million in local banks. The top ten countries with participants taking up the S-MM2H program included China, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the United States, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Indonesia.
Abdul Karim advised that further information on the S-MM2H application process can be accessed by visiting the ministry’s website at .
