KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) agents have been urged to comply with the laws and regulations of countries where they operate when promoting the programme and recruiting participants overseas to prevent confusion and fraud, says Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (pic).
The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister said having a licence to operate in Malaysia did not automatically mean that agents had fulfilled the regulatory requirements of other countries.
“Agents who have obtained MM2H licences in Malaysia should not assume that they have fulfilled all regulatory requirements.
“When promoting MM2H and recruiting clients in other countries, they must also understand local laws and cooperate with local authorities,” he said in a Facebook post.
Tiong said the matter was among the issues raised during a meeting with the Malaysian Association in the Republic of Korea during his recent visit there.
The meeting was also attended by association president Dr Aaron Kim Hong-seok, secretary-general Kim Jun-hyung and several other representatives, Bernama reported.
He said the association representatives told him that some MM2H agents in Malaysia might not fully understand the regulatory system and were dealing directly with individuals in South Korea.
This had resulted in numerous parties claiming that they could handle MM2H applications.
Tiong said he would remind all MM2H agent companies to comply with all applicable rules and regulations.
“We cannot simply look at the number of applicants brought in. What matters most is protecting applicants and ensuring that the market develops in a transparent, legal and orderly manner,” he said.
He said a clearer cooperation mechanism between MM2H agents in Malaysia and local industry partners in key markets was important to reduce ambiguity, prevent fraud and misunderstandings, and enhance confidence in the programme among prospective foreign applicants.
Tiong said the South Korean market had strong potential for MM2H, particularly among retirees looking to make Malaysia their second home during the winter months.
