The minister for tourism, arts and culture, Tiong King Sing, said the new system will enable applicants to complete certain procedures online.

He said ministry officials have been urged to expedite work on the system, which he said was also the wish of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Tiong said the qualifications and conditions for agents have also been reworked to protect applicants’ rights and ensure the interests of agents.

“We have standardised the service charges for agents and specified the scope of services that agents must provide to applicants. This is to ensure that the interests of both agents and applicants are protected,” he said.

Anyone who meets the relevant conditions and qualifications can apply to become an agent as agents are needed to help promote and facilitate the programme, he said.

The revamped MM2H system launched on June 15 provides long-term residential permits for foreigners who are at least 25 years old and who meet financial conditions such as property ownership and a fixed deposit ranging from US$150,000 to US$1 million.

The federal MM2H programme is applicable to West Malaysia, with Sabah and Sarawak having their own separate MM2H programmes.