By Shikin Louis KUCHING, March 10: The high number of Chinese nationals applying for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme is a natural trend rather than a result of exclusive targeting. Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, clarified that MM2H is open to all nationalities except those from Israel and North Korea. “All other countries can apply under the MM2H programme. It’s not just limited to China or mainland China. “No doubt, most applicants are from China. This is likely due to China’s large population, their familiarity with Malaysia, and probably a lot of them have fallen in love with Malaysia. That’s why many of them are applying,” he said during a press conference at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) Centre in Jalan Crookshanks today. His remarks come in response to veteran politician Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim, who made a mocking statement on his Facebook page and claimed that 22,000 Chinese nationals have obtained permanent residency in Malaysia via the MM2H programme. Even for the Sarawak Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) programme, Abdul Karim noted that the highest number of applicants last year and the year before were from mainland China, followed by those from Europe, the United States, and Singapore. “But as it stands, the MM2H programme is open to all countries worldwide—it’s not just limited to China,” he reiterated. The S-MM2H programme is managed by the Sarawak government, with licensing issued by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) and the Sarawak Immigration Department, rather than the federal government. Applicants for S-MM2H must meet different prerequisites compared to those under the federal MM2H programme. However, the fundamental objective remains the same—to allow foreign nationals who appreciate Malaysia to reside here more easily. Abdul Karim also highlighted that the S-MM2H programme has attracted interest from Koreans, particularly parents enrolling their children in Sarawak’s international schools. “Many of them apply for the S-MM2H programme so they can stay close to their children, and some even invest in property here. This contributes positively to our local economy,” he added. – DayakDaily