PUTRAJAYA has frozen all applications for the Malaysia My Second Home Programme (MM2H), which contributed RM40 billion to the economy until further notice, leaving agents and applicants in a bind.

This was revealed in a letter dated June 29 by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) about the closure of the MM2H centre based at its ministry and its move to the Immigration Department in Putrajaya.

Malaysia My Second Home Agents Association president Lim Kok Sai told The Malaysian Insight that agents are in the dark over the reason for the move and confused over the sudden decision to stop new applications.

The suspension on new applications follows the rejection of 90% of applications submitted last year, for September, October and November, without any reason.

The rejection rate is the highest ever for MM2H visa applicants in the last 14 years. The programme allows foreign retirees to own homes and live in Malaysia and had earned RM40 billion since its inception in 2002.

Lim said nearly 1,000 applications were rejected from September to November last year.

That was before the country’s movement-control order (MCO) against Covid-19 also disrupted agents’ work.

“During the MCO, many agents had to cancel their appointments because application counters were closed,” said Lim.

Now that the country has moved into recovery MCO mode with more sectors resuming business, agents hoping to pick up the pace with new applications were taken by surprise with the sudden change to move the MM2H centre from Motac to the Immigration Department.

No reason for the move was given in Motac’s letter informing agents about the closure of the MM2H centre at the ministry from yesterday.

“The MM2H immigration unit will be transferred to the Immigration Department of Malaysia starting July 6, 2020. Therefore, any immigration-related issues may be pursued directly with the Immigration Department of Malaysia at its headquarters.

“Due to the closure of the centre, all new submissions will not be accepted until further notice,” said Motac.

The MM2H Consultants Association is expected to hold a press conference today on the matter.

Malaysia is currently in the RMCO phase until August 31.

In this phase, most economic sectors have reopened and even places and activities that involve big gatherings and close contact are slowly resuming business, although under strict conditions and with limits on the number of people allowed.

Since the start of the MCO in mid-March, however, Putrajaya closed all its borders to foreign travel except for limited categories.

MM2H visa holders, however, were denied entry into Malaysia, causing some 200 visa holders to be stranded abroad.

Last month, senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said foreign diplomats based here and those under the MM2H can return to the country.

The borders remain closed to anyone travelling in or out during the recovery MCO unless they have urgent matters.

MM2H was launched in 2002 with the majority being Chinese applicants, followed by Japan, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom and South Korea. – July 2, 2020.