The government did not cancel the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H), but instead was frozen temporarily, was said in Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that the temporary suspension is intended to allow the Ministry to make comprehensive programme specifications and adjustments, including protection, land, well-being, and the economic effects.

“Actually we have not finalised the cancellation of the programme, we are reviewing and devising certain conditions. That is the reason why we returned the applications, to enable them (applicants) to meet the new conditions.

“We do not want to approve their applications and later hold them back thus disappointing the applicants. The deposits are not forfeited, applicants can get them back from their agents,” she said during the question-and-answer session, in response to a supplementary question from Maria Chin Abdullah (PH-Petaling Jaya) on how the government could provide financial aid to programme participants who had paid their deposits.

Nancy said that while it is understood that the programme suspension would have an effect on the economy of the country, the programme, since it was initiated in 2002, never underwent a comprehensive review.

In response to Datuk supplementary question, Mohd Salim Sharif (BN-Jempol) said that, since 2018, a total of 66,458 applications have been accepted and that China has registered the highest number of programme applicants.

She added that in addition to China, applicants also came from the United Kingdom, Hong Kong , Japan, Bangladesh, South Korea , Taiwan, Iran and India.