rogerluli

Thanks but I have the info for Sarawak...It is Sabah that seems to be unknown...

Thairetired2016

This is correct. But the system is not reliable i.e. more often than not, I didn't mention it.
I never did 90 day report as we use the 90 days as a reason to explore a neighboring country for a few days.

Thairetired2016

Unless you move into the sticks, language is not a problem.
I learnt no more than very basic Thai in 14 yrs here. Never had a problem.

RedApe

PatinEurope...if it makes a difference. Sarawak has a lower "retirement income" requirement for singles than the Peninsula. RM7000/month vs. RM10,000.

This is practically ancient history but this article in ExpatGo from 2012 entitled "MM2H in East Malaysia" discusses the Sabah MM2H program requirements as essentially "the same as the Peninsula" with the exception of a required RIF62 form which is a "Police History Report" apparently written in Bahasa Malay. You fill this out and attach the "home" police record stating that you have no outstanding criminal counts against you.[Sarawak did not require this, though it was mentioned as needed on their site]. However, Sabah Immigration does require that you fill out all the forms and submit to THEM, not KL.

MM2H in East Malaysia - ExpatGo

Apparently you also only get a 5 year visa in Sabah (same as in Sarawak) maximum...or if you have less than 5 1/2 years on your passport then whatever that term is minus 6 months.

The article, as I said, is 5 years old. Things could have changed.

SushiFan

Sorry, I misread your question and thought that both (Sabah, Sarawak) are identical.

SushiFan

I fear that the alternatives you suggest will not be accepted by the Malaysian Government. When I applied for MM2H was a financial check included into both income as well as net worth. I asked whether for the determination of net worth an investment portfolio (e.g. mutual funds, stocks, bonds) would be taken into account. The reply was negative: only cash, and a savings account would be taken into consideration.
If they don't accept an investment portfolio to determine your net worth, then I assume that they will also not recognise any income/revenue stream you will have from such an investment portfolio. It is my impression that they only recognise "conventional" income streams such as salary from a job, pension, or interest from a savings account. A question remains how much longer they will hold such a view, or that in the future they change their mind. And will start to understand that people "make money from money".

Pat in europe

May I know you applied for MM2H?

Yes, they still stress on liquid asset. However, if you have investment which generates dividends and interests, I guess they will take into consideration the dividends and interests part which you can take out and spend any time. At least that's the impression I got from a Malaysian legal advisor in his online blog.

I wonder how they treat people who have a comfortable amount of liquid asset but no monthly pension or income. Will they reject their application or renewal?

Also, assuming a successful applicant is staying in Malaysia most of the time. The MM2H expects him/her to have RM10,000 each month to finance the expenditure which of course includes accommodation. Assuming that he/she has bought a condo or house in Malaysia and paid off all loan, then why should the MM2H authority still require the same amount, i.e. RM10,000 a month? He/She does not need to spend on rent or mortgage payment any more, which can amount to half of the expected monthly spending.

RedApe

PatinEurope...Critical question. Are you Over 50??? And would you be willing to transfer some of your assets to cover the Fixed Deposit Account.

You might consider the Sarawak Program which does not require the proof of liquid assets AND the RM10,000 income.

It simply gives you two options...the retirement pension/off-shore income option (RM7000 Single and RM10,000 for a couple)

OR

putting a fixed deposit in a bank (RM 100K Single and RM 150K for a couple). The latter option does not require a proof of overseas liquid assets.

RedApe

In addition, once admitted to the Sarawak Program, you could RENT in the peninsula or Sabah if you so chose (though I doubt you could buy property there...but who knows). "The visa issued to participants in the MM2H Sarawak program allows the participant to reside anywhere in Malaysia" but the converse is not true. An MM2H from KL doesn't allow one to reside in Sarawak, though you can visit for 3 months.

WiredTight

Pat,
You asked a few post ago "what is the MY gov't looking for"... The answer can only be MONEY. The pension can be looked at as Short Term in fusion, while the fixed deposit directly backs up the banking system or Long Term investment.

I would like to think that the MY gov't has some l room to move around when it comes to approving a MM2H request. If you can prove (without too many bars and graphs) that you will have a steady income, etc... I would think you will have a good chance at approval.

As Red-Ape pointed out, the Sarawak Program seem more realistic or reasonable for someone in your position. Another option... is to become a VISA Runner while living in MY (I spent the my 1st year doing this with no problems), test out the waters, and then if you still have questions or barriers, contact a MM2H agent. Yes this will require a fee ($$$) but it will then be the agents job to push through your MM2H request (They don't get paid on the back end unless you are MM2H approved). The agent will then mash together all your info into a package that the MM2H approval people are specifically looking for.

SushiFan

Not only did I apply for MM2H, I am now living (more or less) full time in Penang.
Dividends which I received were not taken into consideration at the time of my MM2H application. Only interest from a savings account was.
The questions you ask are very valid and I fully understand where you are coming from. However, it is my impression that over here money (and "making money from money") is viewed from a very different angle.

P.S. I see a suggestion to you to become a visa runner. Be very careful with this approach as in the last 1~2 years a strong clamp-down is taking place on this.

Davita

When I applied for MM2H some years ago, from Canada, it was required to use an agent and I used Joystay.
I didn't have a lot of the so-called financial requirements although I had adequate funds which, for tax efficiency reasons, were not as liquid as the MM2H regulation required.
Joystay managed to manipulate everything into compliance before making the application...I found her fee was well worth the lack of hassle and was guaranteed refundable if MM2H rejected.
After receiving the letter of compliance we arrived in Malaysia a month or so later and received our MM2H the next day.

Pat in europe

This is another question I've got: citizens of certain countries are allowed to enter Malaysia visa-free for 30 days or up to 3 months. Can the immigration officers deny entry of those visitors because they enter Malaysia too often, say 9 times a year and each stay lasting for a month?

How about foreigners who have invested property in Malaysia for self-use
but have no social visit pass? can they somehow live in Malaysia?

Pat in europe

I am not too worried about getting approved for the first application as I am still working with a sufficient income. The problem would be upon each renewal cycle.
Visa run may be an option, but I came across situation in which the immigration officers started to ask questions upon the 3rd or 4th visa run. For permanent stay in Malaysia, a better solution is needed. A monthly or even quarterly visa run when you are 80 year-old or above is not an enjoyable thing to do.

Pat in europe

I guess the recent clamp-down on visa run has been targeted to foreign workers from neighbouring countries?