MM2H-assets in lieu of income?

My MM2H was done about 9 or 10 years ago. I also didn't have a pension but I did prove an investment of more than MYR1,000,000 in Malaysian property which not only reduced my Fixed Deposit down to MYR60,000 but also meant I didn't need to prove an income of MYR10,000 per month.

It might be worth discussing this matter with either an agent or MM2H directly to get clarification.

I also think buying property in Malaysia is a reasonable thing to do if you plan to retire here.

If you are over 50 the income can come from either a Pension or from another regular source. Lots of people are still working as well and that is fine. MM2H is not a "retirement" visa. So a combination of "income" is OK.

Showing this over the course of 3 months is the documentation required. But the word "minimum" has now been inserted in front of the RM10k per month.

There are no variations possible, except as Abdulkhalil mentioned the FD is lower if owning property valued at RM1m or above.

The income (and liquid assets) have to be outside Malaysia to qualify.

The RM150,000 FD (over 50's) is now mandatory alongside the income - not "either / or" as it was before.

You may want to look at this (http://www.immigrationlanka.com/Info-2-7.html) retirement visa or Thailand instead

Take a look at the Sarawak MM2h Visa - you can live on mainland Malaysia with it - https://www.sarawak.gov.my/web/home/art … w/221/279/

Thank you for your comments and suggestions regarding my question. I also got a reply from MM2H.
Feedback: Proof of monthly income MUST be shown from salary, pension, rental OR interest. Applicant MUST be able to show proof of income earned to support application..

For Sarawak it says either income OR Fixed Deposit - did you contact Sarawak?

https://www.sarawak.gov.my/web/home/art … w/221/279/

To live in Penang you will need Rm4-5k per month

No, not yet, I only saw your tip after I had contacted peninsular. Thank you so much for that lead! I see that unlike peninsular, they do not allow part-time employment. Do you, or anyone else, have any idea of how hard it is to get permission in Sarawak to  to do something where there may be some demand, such as TESL, for a bit of income?

That is a very important option for those unable to meet the monthly income of Rm10k. Gravitas, that is probably going to help a lot of people considering moving to Malaysia. I especially like the rule about being able to buy property as cheap as Rm300k. We should all be thanking you for this.

You will find it almost impossible to find work in Malaysia.  TESL will require CELTA and a degree.

Well it's still work in progress Abdulkhalil as I see the minimum purchase price is listed now at RM500,000

https://www.edgeprop.my/content/1045775 … ign-buyers

MM2H used to be either/or until about 12 months ago.

Sarawak still applies the old "Pension income OR Fixed Deposit" rule. For the most part they only accept "retirees" over 50. You are not supposed to work in Sarawak without Government permission (although they stated that volunteer work was acceptable, and work outside is not work "in" Sarawak). That might mean you could work part-time on the Peninsula (with approval) and Sarawak would not care.

They also have a lower (RM7000 guaranteed fixed income) standard for single applicants. The same is true for the Fixed Deposit (RM100,000 for singles).  It's still RM10,000 OR RM150,000 for a couple.

I just was accepted as a single applicant...I did not have to post a Fixed Deposit. If you opt for the Pension Option

Other oddities about Sarawak.
1) You need a local Sarawakian sponsor.

2) You don't need a letter of Good Behavior from your previous residences police department.

3) It's only a 5 Year Renewable Visa (not 10) but Immigration stated "it's a formality" unless one has violated the agreement letter or cannot pass the new health check-up. I asked about the latter and they said  it relates to addictions or untreated communicable diseases. Lot's of heavy drinkers on the Social Visa programs hereabouts so I guess it would mean...no DRUG addictions.

4) Acceptance time - 2 months. Fast!!! Before my 3 month tourist pass expired.

5) No agents...this is perplexing as there are 4 agents listed on the MM2H as agents FOR Sarawak and the Sarawak M2H people said one can use them. I still don't have a straight answer.

6) There's a "Catch-22" with the "Journey-Performed" Visa. On the Peninsula your agent can have you pick up the proper entry visa at the local Malaysian Embassy/Consulate abroad. In Sarawak you can only "apply in person" which means that one comes in generally on a tourist pass. This required a "Journey Performed" Visa so I would not have to go out to another country, apply for the proper visa and return. They charged me RM506 for this. Of course, one cannot go outside to get the "proper visa" since they require direct application IN SARAWAK (and no agents). I suppose one could try and get a "Single Entry Visa" from your local embassy or consulate in your home country and see if that will fly. Supposedly that costs RM6 plus service fee.

They say I will not have to pay this at renewal.

7) You or your sponsor do not have to actually put up the Security Bond. Both simply sign a promissary document that is stamped by the Tax Agency (HASIL) for RM10.

8) You can live anywhere in Malaysia on the Sarawak M2H visa, but you cannot reside in Sarawak on the MM2H. That means you must get a 3 month Visitor stamp upon entry (as do Peninsular Malaysians, BTW). Weird, yes. My landlord stated that he would rent apartments to MM2H people though.

9) Total cost of everything  - Health Check-including chest X-RAY and blood work (RM150); Commissioner of Oaths authenticating documents (RM40); Uber/Grab to Immigration Department/Tourism Ministry (RM40);  Journey Performed Visa (RM506); Five Year Multi-Entry Visit Pass (RM450- RM90/year) ~ RM1000 or thereabouts  (US$260).

Except for the shorter term, and finding a local sponsor, it seems a better alternative than the MM2H. I don't know what would happen if a SM2H actually did live on the mainland, apply for part-term work, try to buy property, set up a bank account, etc. Heads might explode!

Sarawak is always complaining about the absence of high quality English speakers and are pushing that far more than the Peninsula. Perhaps its because so many people are involved in the Tourism industry...but also because they felt the quality of English-speaking has declined since cession with Malaysia (hence speaking English, and the right to use English in the schools acts as a symbol of autonomy). Even some previously well-known "anti-Western Imperialism" firebrands in the government have taken up this position.

I did know of a guy who taught English at the Lodge International School...and I don't think he applied for a work visa. Maybe Lodge submitted all the paperwork for him.  Seemed dodgy. He was coming in and out on a tourist pass, though married to a local woman. I'd speak with administrators at the International schools, and at the Private Colleges (Curtin, Limkokwing, Swinburne, SEGI and others all exist in Sarawak).

One concern is that you might lose your Sarawak M2H if you shifted to a work visa.

Could I qualify and get the mm2h on my salary and liquid assets, then quit my job after?  Will they require that I show continued monthly income after I get approved for mm2h?

No they do not require that you show continued monthly income after your MM2H is approved. You just need to prove it at the application stage. Once you have the MM2H and your Fixed Deposit is placed in the bank then there are no more checks.

What about upon renewal for those on the pension approval version? Don't they still have to show that the pension checks are still rolling in?

Also curious when you turn 50 and want to reduce the FD to the "Over 50" level...can you apply for that  AT 50, or at renewal? Or are you locked into having a RM300,000 (under 50) FD in perpetuity?

If so that's one more reason not to apply for MM2H until one reaches 50!

Sure I think it is better to apply for the MM2H when you reach 50 years of age, as I did. I did mine quite a few years ago and not only did I have a reduced requirement on the Fixed Deposit, but I had also spent more than Rm1 million on property so was only required to place Rm60,000 in the bank. So if you can wait till you are 50 then it's probably better. Anyway, the MM2H was originally supposed to be a kind of retirement thing, so it isn't surprising that those too young to retire but with lots of cash should make a bigger commitment than those over 50 years of age.

I can't answer you first question about having to proving your income when extending the MM2H for a further 5 years, but hopefully those who have done it can give you an answer. However, my guess is that you would not have to go through all those requirements again since MM2H is basically a 10 year residency visa but just split into two parts.

For having Rm300,00 in perpetuity, sorry I do not know. Others perhaps can calrify what happens.