RedApe

It was, I recall "new applications" (not recipients...which were 6) were 111 in January...three months after the new program was announced in mid-October. That was a rate of about 34/month. So now we are ten months in and the monthly application rate is @27/month. It's going down, not up. Even though applicants can now come to Malaysia to complete the process, and "publicity" about the program is presumably out to the public. It seems that as people become more aware of the program applications are declining. That's not good.

If the acceptance rates were anything like the SIX he reported in January...that'd mean that only about TWENTY new MM2H visas will have been issued by the first full year of the program. Versus about 2000 dropping the program. And many of those may be applying to Sarawak and NOT because of any family or other matters.

Then there is the question of "how many of these are recipients UNDER THE NEW RULES". I've heard that a few individuals have received visas under the old rules as their visas were in process but stymied because of the pandemic. And is the Home Minister including in S-MM2H applications into his numbers?

Those attrition numbers are forbidding as well. He makes light of them, and surely some are because of the pandemic...MM2H recipients were not treated well by the government in terms of finding some way of allowing them to affordably return. But I think many are just very distrustful of the Malaysian government holding to their side of the bargain made with them in the original MM2H program. The Home Minister initially seemed adamant that all MM2H recipients would have to prequalify under the new rules...and if there had not been a hue and cry he likely would not have retreated. But that attitude and all the false accusations about those on MM2H being leeches on the economy and Malaysian people left a very bitter taste in peoples mouths. Unlike certain citizens of Malaysia who have to put up with name-calling and false aspersions in the name of Malay unity, foreign investors can "vote with their feet" and take their hard earned foreign dollars out of the country. Many were repulsed by the Idi Amin-like bullying of the Home Minister. There were many other countries who saw that the retirement visa was an important element in the recovery of their tourism economies. Almost every one of Malaysia's neighbours are now exploring some version of MM2H, and there are two alternatives even within Malaysia...Sarawak (which already has a program) and Sabah (which seems to want to mirror Sarawak).

My concern with some of the other MM2H programs is similar now to Malaysia...how stable will they be in the long run. Will countries go back on their pledges to incoming retirees when their economic situation betters or when there's a change in government. I'm almost thinking now that I have to have not just a back-up option, but a third option lined up as well...in a place that isn't necessarily spot that I might not want to live more or less permanently. Sadly that means not setting down roots by buying property, not improving the land I'm on, and not getting involved too much in social groups. Of course, those social groups may also be moving to "Plan B"...so perhaps there I going to be groups just reinstituting themselves together in Vietnam, Cambodia, or Indonesia.

SushiFan

No, because he does not control the S-MM2H program. If he did, he would have stopped it by now.

RedApe

Oh but he can control what his includes in his stats.
Sarawak and Sabah M2h are still "MM2H" and the Home Affairs Ministry still does the Background Checks...so he can take the numbers and say they are MM2H even if he can't control the regulations.

eCdD

Dont blame UMNO for things others do. Hamzah defected UMNO after the election in 2018 and started his career as MM2H killer with BERSATU.

One thing I learnt from my MM2H "career", dont go for a program that offers no path to a PR.

RedApe

So Hamza is a frog"?

Just wondering what visa programs in Malaysia offer a route to a PR that might be accessible to a middle class retiree? One not married to a Malaysian. And that doesn't take 30+ or 40+years. I have a friend who held both employment visas from the 1970's onward and married and has kids with a local wife...he just was awarded his PR two years ago!!!

Are there other countries with Visa Programs in SE Asia that put one on a path to PR without having to pay several hundred thousands dollars? And require fluency in the language? Or work 20 years?

eCdD

Yes, the only useful path to a PR or even citizenship is that you or your kids are extremely successful in sports

I don´t know if there are others as there is no other country in this region I have interest in. Except Singapore, but for them I am a much too small fish

Epicurious

Cambodia CM2H. Simple conditions leading to potential citizenship after 5 years. Horrific application fee of USD30,000 though.