THE Tourism, Culture and Arts Ministry said it welcomed anyone from Hong Kong who wanted to relocate to the country under the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.

Its secretary-general, Isham Ishak, said applicants from Hong Kong would be subject to the same rigid checks as other applicants by the Home Ministry.

“I can’t say for sure if there is an increase in applications under the programe. I have not seen the records. But we welcome people from Hong Kong who want to come here under the programme,” he said.

He said the Home Ministry would be thorough in its checks and ensure those applying were not people who had created trouble there and were trying to escape the authorities in Hong Kong.

It was reported that Hong Kong citizens were looking to stay in Malaysia until chaotic protests at home settled.

Enquiries had seen a sharp increase of up to 40% from Hong Kong on the MM2H in the past month, said relocation agents.

The protests were triggered by an extradition bill to China in June, now suspended, and evolved into a wider anti-government movement with no end in sight. 

MM2H Programme Agents’ Association president Lim Kok Sai had told The Malaysian Insight that applications from Hong Kong citizens had increased by 30% to 40% in little more than a month.

However, even before that, Malaysia’s geographical location, food, culture and laws had attracted a fair number of Hong Kong citizens under the MM2H programme.

“Now with the chaos caused by the anti-China movement, even more are looking to emigrate,” Lim told the Malaysian Insight.

Isham said the MM2H programme was also popular with citizens from China, Europe, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea. – August 26, 2019.