stij19

RedApe

I would take what the officer said with a grain of salt. The average time is about 5 months. Sometimes it takes 7 or 8. There was also some rigamarole in July regarding some revisions in the rules regarding applications from China. Probably that made the approval committees have to meet regarding procedures rather than read through an application and rubber stamp it.

There is an on-line site you can check the process of approval.

Check Status | MM2H Check N' Track

OR

http://www.mm2h.gov.my/index.php/en/...ication-status

stij19

RedApe

They seem to be having some issues with the main mm2h.gov.my site. It was down last weekend, then up, now down.

An officer will say "in process" which simply means "not yet rejected". As I noted there were some political issues re. Chinese applications to MM2H and this may have resulted in the "Committee" being involved in other activities relating to the formulation of new regulations or better review for that group. The fact that it has been sent to the Committee is a good sign as it means that there are likely no incomplete or missing documents in your application. Now they are reviewing qualifications and likely pushing it between different officials for "checks". For example, if they have some concern about your financials they may contact your bank. If they have some concern about your background they may check with your employer or the law enforcement authorities in your place of previous residence. But I would not worry greatly as two months at this stage likely is just part of the bureaucratic process of getting the various Ministries to "have their say". Deliver, sit on desk or in a file for two weeks, the person reviews accumulated applications, stamp, stamp, stamp, sign, sign...then send off to the next Ministry, Wash, Rinse and Repeat. Then final approval, write letters of Conditional Approval, more stamps from different officials. Then they send the letters to the person in charge of mailing, they must look at the application addresses, type up on envelopes, then they send down to the mailroom. Someone passes the list to the website for submission. They may get around to posting it if they are not involved in some thing else.

Remarkably, things may proceed much more quickly in you are physically there....as occurs when you submit your Fixed Deposit letters, etc. and pick up (and pay for) your visas. Paperwork can be placed in a stack, isn't physically staring at you from a counter, or holding a "service number". I also tend to think that there some truth to the fact that the slow pace of processing is due to the fact that bureaucratic systems are inefficient by nature. If you had a super-efficient employee who actually went through the applications rapidly...they'd be done after two hours and just sitting around. They then get upbraided for "not working". Possibly get fired. Or that person could do they work of 3-4 others...which means that others would get fired. Not a way to make friends and supporters in any workplace.

stij19

RedApe

I don't know the politics about what the issue is with Chinese...other than the fear that too many are coming, developers are creating large city sized communities catering to citizens of China, and there are some questions about whether applicants were told that they'd be able to open businesses or become citizens down the road. Mahathir seems to be expressing more concern about Chinese NATIONALS. But anyone that follows the history of racial issues in peninsular Malaysia would realize that there is a long history of racism regarding ethnic Malay-ethnic Chinese- ethnic Indian communities.

I think it would be difficult to craft a regulation strictly on the basis of race for the current (or past) governments, as they are both dependent upon support of these large minority groups. So any regulation would likely deal mainly with Chinese Nationals...or everybody (regardless of race). They recently instituted a new rule about the "Proof of Good Behaviour" that was specifically oriented for China and Hong Kong , for example.

Oh, one more thing. Usually people already being processed would not be effected by a new regulation.

InVinoVeritas

MM2H applications and renewals are currently suspended while management of the programme is transferred from Tourism to Home Affairs. Probably only a short delay unless they decide to take this opportunity to revise the conditions for MM2H. Hopefully any applications already submitted and those renewals in progress will eventually move forward on their original terms. Nothing you can do except watch and wait, I'm afraid.

stij19

Epicurious

This topic was addressed at the BHCKL meeting by Datin Sharifah. Management of MM2H is not being moved to Home Affairs. The selection committee remains the same. However, some if not all applications are being further reviewed by Home Affairs after the committee has given approval, due to the Forest City controversy.

stij19

RedApe

What "island" are you referring to? If "Forest City" then perhaps it could be related to the delay.

Epicurious

Datin Sharifah did not make it clear whether all applications are going to HA or just some.

stij19

RedApe

No, Forest City was a controversial mega-development (3425 acres) in Johor, opposite Singapore that is being built on reclaimed land projected to hold 700,000 residents by 2050. It was being heavily marketed to Chinese citizens and some say that the MM2H program was being used to promote it- incorrectly- as a step to permanent residency, citizenship or establishing a business. The MM2H program guarantees nothing like this - and in some ways is worse than a long-stay social visit visa for getting permanent residency. The developer claimed that it was NOT exclusively being promoted to Chinese, and that any promotional offers re. MM2H were simply mistakes or misinterpretations by buyers.

Regardless, any development of this size bringing in so many non-Malaysians into a city-sized enclave was inevitably going to raise concerns.

https://thediplomat.com/2017/08/mala...e-damage-done/

SushiFan

You may want to read some newspaper articles about the political sensitivities in Malaysia about Chinese Nationals and the Forest City development project in Johor. Some random links:
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nati...p-forest-city/
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nati...dential-visas/
https://www.thestar.com.my/business/...eting-efforts/