Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said his ministry will continue to open up the S-MM2H programme, aimed at attracting visitors to stay long-term in the state, to those interested.

“They are welcome to apply for the S-MM2H programme through my ministry, by abiding with the new enhanced regulations and requirements effective Sept 1,” he said at a press conference here.

Karim said the decision was made, despite the temporary suspension of MM2H until Dec 31, to allow Sarawak’s tourism ministry and related agencies to review and re-evaluate the S-MM2H programme.

Although the MM2H programme is frozen in the peninsula, he said, Sarawak has its own immigration and land policies.

He said the state’s tourism ministry has held a series of coordination meetings with related government agencies on the issue.

The S-MM2H programme is open to citizens of all countries that have diplomatic relations with Malaysia, in line with the federal government’s policy on foreign diplomatic relations.

Karim said the ministry expected the S-MM2H programme to have 1,000 new participants, generating an estimated revenue of RM8.34 million and investment of RM31 million, by 2030.

He said the ministry received 1,240 participants for the programme from 2007 to 2019.

“In 2019 alone, there were 226 successful applicants compared with 103 in 2018,” he said.