MM2H: how long did it take for you?

Gravitas wrote:

Don't think the reference numbers are particularly indicative as cases will not necessarily be handled in number order because some applications may be incomplete or require additional steps.

If applications are incomplete at the time of submission, they are not filied yet and not given a reference number. We were required an additional document and MM2H office accepted our case only after they received all the documents.

Gravitas wrote:

This was evident when approvals came through together but applications were entered at quite different dates.

Respectfully, what is your source? MM2H office or an MM2H agency?
When we stopped by at MM2H office last December to check our status, we've been told that our application is moving along and close to a review because our number is XXXXX and they are reviewing presently ref. number XXXYY.  It means that they do process applications gradually following the numbers.  Unless they were not telling the truth?

Hi

how about renewal at the end of the 10year visa?

will the new income rule affects renewal?

we may be employed now, no problem with the new income requirement ( without using:
income such as rental agreements, investment benefits and others as sources of income )

assuming 10/20 years later, we are no longer working,
are we subjected to review again?
then that will be an issue if we are then fully retired,
totally with no employment income,
solely living on rental and dividend....

"OFF-SHORE INCOME
If the applicant is unable to meet the RM10,000 off-shore income, he/she may submit income from spouse to support the application. However, the applicant's income should exceed the spouse with a ratio of 7:3."

This requirement doesn't make sense at all. Why would they  limit the spouse's income requirement? So if a ratio is 1:1 and combined income is 9,000+9,000, these applicants are not qualified? Does it make any sense? There is no way to crop a pension in smaller pieces to satisfy this requirement for 7:3 ratio.

lplplpl wrote:

how about renewal at the end of the 10year visa?
assuming 10/20 years later, we are no longer working, are we subjected to review again?

Yes, this is the whole meaning for giving a 10-year visa. You can only be secure for 10 years and only if the main applicant will not die. It doesn't mean that you need to re-apply as a new applicant in 10 years, but you would need to satisfy all new financial requirements.

But at least 10-year visa will give you time to look for a second home in another country as an option.
The best is looking for a PERMANENT visa in other countries, but there are certain rules on taxation and minimum stay there you need to take in the account. On a positive side, more and more countries are opening different programs for permanent visa and citizenship and these countries are competing.

lplplpl wrote:

Hi

how about renewal at the end of the 10year visa?

will the new income rule affects renewal?

we may be employed now, no problem with the new income requirement ( without using:
income such as rental agreements, investment benefits and others as sources of income )

assuming 10/20 years later, we are no longer working,
are we subjected to review again?
then that will be an issue if we are then fully retired,
totally with no employment income,
solely living on rental and dividend....

That's what I was asking in the above. The implication is that if one declares that one is still employed one can use only salary income. But if one is retired that one can use a pension, OR other sources of income such as rental agreements, investment benefits, and other sources of income....along with, or in lieu of a pension reaching RM10,000? Otherwise why limit the restriction to those that DECLARE that they are still employed?

"The applicant who declares that he / she IS EMPLOYED, is not permitted to use other sources of income such as rental agreements, investment benefits and others as sources of income instead, the applicant MUST submit the salary slip and bank statement as proof of an offshore- income.
Applicant is required to provide both Salary Slip and 3 months of current Bank Statement as an evidence of salary credit by the EMPLOYER."

expat000 wrote:

"OFF-SHORE INCOME
If the applicant is unable to meet the RM10,000 off-shore income, he/she may submit income from spouse to support the application. However, the applicant's income should exceed the spouse with a ratio of 7:3."

This requirement doesn't make sense at all. Why would they  limit the spouse's income requirement? So if a ratio is 1:1 and combined income is 9,000+9,000, these applicants are not qualified? Does it make any sense? There is no way to crop a pension in smaller pieces to satisfy this requirement for 7:3 ratio.

They should simply state that the main applicant has at least an income of at least RM7000 with spousal income or pension being able to supplement that to meet a minimum of at least RM10,000. Yeah, odd that they would penalize couples whose incomes/pensions are equitable or nearly so.

They seem still embedded in the "patriachy" ;-)

expat000 wrote:

lplplpl wrote:

how about renewal at the end of the 10year visa?
assuming 10/20 years later, we are no longer working, are we subjected to review again?

Yes, this is the whole meaning for giving a 10-year visa. You can only be secure for 10 years and only if the main applicant will not die. It doesn't mean that you need to re-apply as a new applicant in 10 years, but you would need to satisfy all new financial requirements.

Hey, wait, I thought one of the reasons for applying sooner than later is that at renewal you just need to satisfy the original rules under which you applied and not be subject to any new (and presumably stiffer) rules/requirements.  Am I missing something?

VWC wrote:

expat000 wrote:

lplplpl wrote:

how about renewal at the end of the 10year visa?
assuming 10/20 years later, we are no longer working, are we subjected to review again?

Yes, this is the whole meaning for giving a 10-year visa. You can only be secure for 10 years and only if the main applicant will not die. It doesn't mean that you need to re-apply as a new applicant in 10 years, but you would need to satisfy all new financial requirements.

Hey, wait, I thought one of the reasons for applying sooner than later is that at renewal you just need to satisfy the original rules under which you applied and not be subject to any new (and presumably stiffer) rules/requirements.  Am I missing something?

Someone on another expat forum wrote that renewing MM2H holders are usually grandfathered in under the rules that pertained when they originally applied rather than having to meet the new rules. I am unable to confirm that this is official policy. Certainly one agent has been lobbying for it:

http://samchoong.com/official-mm2h-work … d-updates/
"On our part, we wrote to the Immigration Department for clarifications and our proposed suggestions (in a nutshell for existing MM2H holders as well as applicants who had submitted their applications to be “grandfathered”)."

Malaysia has been pretty good at "grandfathering" their rules for prior recipients (e.g. FD amounts)...but sometimes they have put time limits on them (e.g. bringing in a tax-free vehicle). In some cases (e.g. the minimum home purchase floor...prior applicants were not "grandfathered"). I'm unsure whether someone moving from a salary application to a pension would constitute a renewal.  I would certainly guess that if there were higher visa fees they would not allow one to pay the old ones.

But in any case, Malaysia wants to be certain that the recipient of any visa is capable of supporting themselves and their dependents. They definitely don't want paupers and people who have loans becoming bankrupt . If one was expected to have RM10,000 in income on the initial visa, then one should fully expect that amount on the second visa issued.

VWC wrote:

expat000 wrote:

lplplpl wrote:

how about renewal at the end of the 10year visa?
assuming 10/20 years later, we are no longer working, are we subjected to review again?

Yes, this is the whole meaning for giving a 10-year visa. You can only be secure for 10 years and only if the main applicant will not die. It doesn't mean that you need to re-apply as a new applicant in 10 years, but you would need to satisfy all new financial requirements.

Hey, wait, I thought one of the reasons for applying sooner than later is that at renewal you just need to satisfy the original rules under which you applied and not be subject to any new (and presumably stiffer) rules/requirements.  Am I missing something?

Please type in your browser "requirements for mm2h renewal in malaysia" and go to the government site for this information. Hope it helps.

Well, we are newbies, so we look to you guys/gals for information.  You stated as if you knew for a fact that new financial requirements would apply.  That is not what my agent Alter Domus had told me originally about the MM2H program.  Now, I have to ask them again to clarify.  In their literature to me, they cited a client who renewed at the original qualification requirements. Obviously, we don't expect to be able to pay the old fees.  If someone's status changes at renewal, say from working to retiree the rules that would apply would be those from the original application that pertain to retirees at that time.

Well, I am asking my agent Alter Domus for clarification now.  The thing is, you stated that new requirements would be in play (as if you knew as fact), and frankly I don't believe that is true from all that Alter Domus had provided to me regarding the program in general. 

Ok, this is what the principal at Alter Domus stated:

For 10 years renewal, you only do the medical check up and renew your Fixed deposit.

No need to show financial statements. We will not know if there are changes in the next ten years.

Well…let me explain about my previous try for MM2H (about 5 years ago) which was successful but something happened and I couldn't finish the process  :-(   Hope it is helpful for somebody. For further information I applied directly. It is from my side and maybe it's different for the other sides.

1_The first and the most important document is "Letter of Good conduct". If it's not working your file is not working and go to "pending  committee approval". This is the only document that should be certified by Malaysian embassy for people from Middle East. So, first I got letter of good conduct from central police department, official translation, certified by justice department and finally by foreign affairs and Malaysian embassy. The more the stamps, the better :-)

2_Second, is the financial capabilities. I sent Official translation of 3 paying slips and 3 months bank statements . Also a document that showed my liquid asset. Those days the condition of your file will be cleared after 4 months, at most,  but after 5 months  I just saw my file is still "pending committee approval". Called them and he said none of your banks did answer!!!!
So, what was wrong? Simple. We have to write the fax number and the telephone number of the bank branch on the statement  that I got. I went to branches one by one and got the numbers, write a pleased letter to mm2h officer and gave the numbers. In the meantime, I went to bank branches each month and ask" is there any fax from Malaysia for me?" …just to remember the bank to remember me :-) . Keep in mind that, some banks never ever answer any fax or letter about customer bank accounts.
Finally, banks called me and said there's fax for you. I went to branches and got the certification letter again and sent to mm2h office. After 2 months my file was approved :-)
so, even if the bank branch forget to write its fax and telephone numbers on the statement, just ask and write them by yourself. It's working.
Hope it is helpful.

VWC wrote:

For 10 years renewal, you only do the medical check up and renew your Fixed deposit.
No need to show financial statements. We will not know if there are changes in the next ten years.

Did they say that they don't know if there will be changes in 10 years?
I was consulting with an agent before we decided to apply without an agent and I was told that we would need to provide financial proof for our extension and the rules may change.
Unfortunately it is not reliable to communicate with MM2H office on this question at this time because the rules and procedures are going through changes. Officers with whom I was communicating several months ago are all gone.
The latest rules for renewal of 10-year visa I found are published in 2014 and I am not sure if they are still current.

Well, to me that is just the classic CYA answer if you know what I mean.  Sure, there will be changes to the program (happening a lot as we speak) and we can't predict the future.  But, from what we know as of now, if I were someone  who was renewing now after 10 years Alter Domus is saying no reporting of financial status needed, just another medical report and renewing of bank deposit.  That is all I really care about for now.  Gosh, if this gets too complicated or if the game changes drastically I will just "suffer" in retirement in San Francisco instead....

It depends which type of approval a person has ie some people in the past qualified purely on level of income required at time of application and did not need to place a FD. In 2017 the rules changed and everyone newly approved had to place an FD. I guess the Approval Letter wording will reflect the terms of later approvals ie were they given on monthly income or not.

The terms under which a mm2h visa was approved are 'grandfathered' meaning they are the terms required to qualify at renewal time eg in the past the FD was rm60k and this does not get increased. There are now plenty of renewals going on because of the age of the programme.

The source is people saying what happens to them because there are quite large mm2h communities in existence and people discuss freely when they applied when they were approved and what terms they have.

This is exactly my point, as I fall in this category, retiree but not pensioned yet, and I obviously have other sources of income exceeding the 10 KRMB as well as the bank funds as requested, other than that, what happens with all of us that submitted our documentation abiding by the rules valid per 2018 ???
Are these new rules retroactive ??

"The applicant who declares that he / she IS EMPLOYED, is not permitted to use other sources of income such as rental agreements, investment benefits and others as sources of income instead, the applicant MUST submit the salary slip and bank statement as proof of an offshore- income.
Applicant is required to provide both Salary Slip and 3 months of current Bank Statement as an evidence of salary credit by the EMPLOYER."

So does that conversely mean that a PENSIONER/RETIREE MAY use rental agreements, investment benefits, and other sources of income, along with, or in lieu of a pension reaching RM10,000?

YES

Basically the under 50s were presumed to be working.  (At the time retirement age in Malaysia was 55 to put it in perspective). So their terms were based on employment income (business owners could also demonstrate their income)

Any variance to that notion could be handled under the motivation letter submitted with the application. Mm2h is approved on a personal basis based on information provided.

Over 50s just need ito show ncome but not nessarily from employment /pension. In fact it was only sufficiently high GOVERNMENT Pensions that automatically qualified and most people actually have corporate ones or personal pension pots

So basically not new rules except for the 7:3 ratio.

VWC wrote:

Alter Domus is saying no reporting of financial status needed, just another medical report and renewing of bank deposit..

Are you planning to hold your agent to his word in 10 years? One thing you can do is to email many other agents and see what they say.

VWC wrote:

Gosh, if this gets too complicated or if the game changes drastically I will just "suffer" in retirement in San Francisco instead....

There is a very beautiful place to retire in New Mexico. Many retirees are relocating there from CA. It is very affordable. Research Deming and Las Cruces, NM. Mountains are very beautiful. New Mexico itself is a very beautiful place with many amazing National parks.  You can compare cost of living in NUMBEO. The best about this cities- no killing like in CA traffic. 

Alter Domus's owner is a former Malaysian immigration officer and it is the leading agency for Mm2h with privileged knowledge due to vast experience.

I trust them implicitly as I have been in Malaysia long enough (9 years) to know how things work here.

I did my own mm2h because of circumstances at the time but now AD handle any processes that I need doing. (So it's possible to use an agency further along the duration of the visa)

Being pessimistic is optional. Thank goodness.

topazar wrote:

So does that conversely mean that a PENSIONER/RETIREE MAY use rental agreements, investment benefits, and other sources of income, along with, or in lieu of a pension reaching RM10,000?

Gravitas wrote:

YES
Over 50s just need to show income but not nessarily from employment /pension.

THIS IS NOT CORRECT.
We applied in June. We are over 55 and MM2H didn't accept our income from investments (like stock dividends) or income from a rental of a house which would satisfied their RM10,000 requirement. MM2H requires a proof that we receive a stable monthly payment like a pension guaranteed by a government or a company.

So, if you think your pension or combined income will be less than RM10,000, they will not be satisfied.

There is a way to create a trust which pays you a pension in a form of a dividend from your investments. However, this is for only rich enough people...

Repeating the wording from the mm2h government sebsite

Quote

The applicant who declares that he / she is employed, is not permitted touse other sources of income such as rental agreements, investment benefits and others as sources of income instead, the applicant MUST submit the salary slip and bank statement as proof of an offshore- income.

Unquote

Dividends would need to be monthly and guaranteed to qualify. Perhaps yours were not suitable.

Basically those mentioned sre permitted sources of income for non-salaried applicants who don't have a GOVERNMENT pension

Need to read the new announcement in conjunction with the Terms and Conditions

Gravitas wrote:

Alter Domus's owner is a former Malaysian immigration officer and it is the leading agency for Mm2h with privileged knowledge due to vast experience.
I trust them implicitly as I have been in Malaysia long enough (9 years) to know how things work here.
I did my own mm2h because of circumstances at the time but now AD handle any processes that I need doing. (So it's possible to use an agency further along the duration of the visa)
Being pessimistic is optional. Thank goodness.

So you didn't use Alter Domus for your application or renewal and you "trust them implicitly".  Maybe you didn't intend but it sounds as if you are marketing them.   

Being optimistic and hopping that someone is telling you facts is not the same as knowledge of facts. 

Anyway, it is the best to write to MM2H office and receive their answer in writing. Or you may go to their office and request written answers to your questions.

Let us know when you get it in writing.

Gravitas and expat000 seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject, so thanks to both.

As far as me as a retiree , I did submit a steady flow of income coming from investments in a private Corp backed up by proper Banks Statements on a monthly basis.

This was accepted at the time of submission last year, then, MY has all the right to change course in the middle of the process, but needs to bear in mind this will shy away several prospects.

I sincerely hope they stick to what was agreed upon at the time of submission. It took me a while to gather all documentation as requested.

My agent is telling me, that all new requirements apply only to new applications per the dates noted in the announcements. Will see

cinnamonape wrote:

expat000 wrote:

"OFF-SHORE INCOME
If the applicant is unable to meet the RM10,000 off-shore income, he/she may submit income from spouse to support the application. However, the applicant's income should exceed the spouse with a ratio of 7:3."

This requirement doesn't make sense at all. Why would they  limit the spouse's income requirement? So if a ratio is 1:1 and combined income is 9,000+9,000, these applicants are not qualified? Does it make any sense? There is no way to crop a pension in smaller pieces to satisfy this requirement for 7:3 ratio.

They should simply state that the main applicant has at least an income of at least RM7000 with spousal income or pension being able to supplement that to meet a minimum of at least RM10,000. Yeah, odd that they would penalize couples whose incomes/pensions are equitable or nearly so.

They seem still embedded in the "patriachy" ;-)

1. The quote does mention he/she as being the potential principal applicant

2. If both parties earn the same - in the example you use 9k - then just by showing at least 7k of income is covered from one party and 3k from the other, the couple would clearly show their combined monthly salary deposits of 18k make them over qualified. No cropping necessary as it is purely a case of meeting qualifying levels together.

If anything it discriminates against single applicants as only a spouse's income can be used as a supplemental balance. So in effect a single must earn more than a minimally qualified couple.

Noted by comparisonron the S-MM2H requirements the income for a single is only 7k.

However, it certainly is a positive step that two people can now qualify, based on the 7:3 ratio announced. This should make it easier for lower income couples to benefit from mm2h. This is a move in the opposite direction to the threatened toughening of qualifying requirements proposed before the 2018 election.

If your application is not complete, how would you be notified of what's missing?
Do they email you of the details?  or
Can you check the status from their official website? or
Do you have to visit their center in Putrajaya to find out what's missing?  (I live in Los Angeles)
So what's the general method of communication with mm2h office?

FYI, I've submitted my application 5 weeks ago (mailed out direct myself)
I am patiently waiting to get a Ref Number to be assigned to my application.

I am dying to know how longer I must wait.  Or I wonder if there's other means to accelerate the process.

Thanks for your kind input.
Kenny

Interesting Gravitas, but I still don't get the idea, if the purpose is to benefit low income couples why not do it on a 50:50 basis combined income, rather 70:30 regardless it is patriarcal or matriarcal  ?
In a couple case the "entity" applying is a couple and not an individual

just trying to understand their logic. TIA

However, it certainly is a positive step that two people can now qualify, based on the 7:3 ratio announced. This should make it easier for lower income couples to benefit from mm2h. This is a move in the opposite direction to the threatened toughening of qualifying requirements proposed before the 2018 election.

They can't say 50:50 because what that would do would mean that someone who is at RM8000 could not supplement with someone at RM2000.

What they need to do is make sure the wording  specifies that supplementary income/pension from the spouse that allows the main applicant to exceed the income floor (RM10,000) is allowed. The ratio should not matter at all. Why even have that in there?  Does it really matter if both parties have RM5000? Or one party has RM6000 and the other RM5000? That would violate the 7:3 ratio. Why is this important?

In the case of divorce or death? But wouldn't this mean the transfer would require a new showing of income?

I agree with you, was just trying to figure it out where's the concept behind  the ratios to allow for a couple to be eligible was coming from. In my opinion the couple is a single unit applying, regardless how the 10 K are built from. Of course I am not MoTAC or whoever is running the show now to have a say on this regulations

cinnamonape wrote:

They can't say 50:50 because what that would do would mean that someone who is at RM8000 could not supplement with someone at RM2000.

What they need to do is make sure the wording  specifies that supplementary income/pension from the spouse that allows the main applicant to exceed the income floor (RM10,000) is allowed. The ratio should not matter at all. Why even have that in there?  Does it really matter if both parties have RM5000? Or one party has RM6000 and the other RM5000? That would violate the 7:3 ratio. Why is this important?

In the case of divorce or death? But wouldn't this mean the transfer would require a new showing of income?

Gravitas wrote:

Let us know when you get it in writing.

It looks like MM2H allows to supplement your insufficient pension with other sources of income. And you would need to prove your offshore income RM10,000 at the renewal. Here is their answer-
____________________________________________________________________________________
QUESTIONS to MM2H:
1. For a 60 years old applicant who is unemployed and not receiving a pension yet, can you accept for your financial requirement a monthly dividend paid from the investments or a payment from a rental of a house in the amount of RM10,000/month?
2. When it comes for a renewal in 10 years, will an applicant be asked to provide financial proof for RM10,000/month?
___________________________________________________________________________________
ANSWER from MM2H:

Greetings from MM2H.
Yes, in case of insufficient primary source of income, applicants can support themselves with rental, interest or dividend from investment and et cetera (secondary source).

Yes, applicant need to provide current proof of 3 months offshore income RM10,000 and above for renewal of 10 years social visit pass.

Thank you.
FATIN HASYIFA MOHD JOHARI
Malaysia My Second Home Centre (MM2H)
Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia
Level 1, No. 2, Tower 1,
Jalan P5/6, Precinct 5,
62200 PUTRAJAYA
MALAYSIA
______________________________________________________________________________________

He actually didn't answer to my question #1 where I meant that we don't have any other income except of  a monthly dividend paid from the investments and a payment from a rental of a house. Basically, as we've learned in our case, a primary income is a must and it sounds like it can be supplemented with other sources of income. This is news for us. But the ratio needs to be 7:3 by the new rules, I am guessing.

cflat11 wrote:

If your application is not complete, how would you be notified of what's missing?

After they received our documents, they emailed to us on what is missing.

cflat11 wrote:

So what's the general method of communication with mm2h office?

I usually email them and sometimes called. But recently, calling is a big problem because they don't reply.

No Tel  : 03-8891 7424
No Fax : 03-8891 7415
[email protected]

cflat11 wrote:

FYI, I've submitted my application 5 weeks ago (mailed out direct myself)
I am patiently waiting to get a Ref Number to be assigned to my application.

Perhaps, count 2 weeks after the day they received it, not when you mailed it, and then email them asking for the status.

But since this program is suspended in the peninsula, have you considered Sabah or Sarawak? They have similar programs but requirements are a little different.

Recently, there is a new rule in Sabah for starting your application- you must rent a property there. They will require your rental agreement, a proof of money transfer for a rental deposit and a proof of your relocation there. They may dismiss your application if your passport is stamped in Kuala Lumpur. They are changing the rules right now and soon this will be confirmed and published. After that, they will be sending your file to KL immigration for criminal check and this will make this process much longer in Sabah, up to 6-8 months. So, the agents in Sabah are saying that now is a good time to enter before the process becomes lengthier.

The process for renewal is given on the mm2h website.

http://mm2h.gov.my/index.php/en/apply-n … or-renewal

There are different processes depending on the approval type

Gravitas wrote:

The process for renewal is given on the mm2h website.

http://mm2h.gov.my/index.php/en/apply-n … or-renewal

There are different processes depending on the approval type

LAST UPDATED ON 23 APRIL 2014
The rules may change since then.

Thanks so much for your input.
I never thought of sending emails to them asking my questions.  Good suggestion!
Your reply gives me more ideas on how to follow up with it.

Regards
Kenny

Yes always keeping an eye on the mm2h website and in contact with the Agent that did my visa  transfer to new passport

expat000 wrote:

cflat11 wrote:

If your application is not complete, how would you be notified of what's missing?

After they received our documents, they emailed to us on what is missing.

cflat11 wrote:

So what's the general method of communication with mm2h office?

I usually email them and sometimes called. But recently, calling is a big problem because they don't reply.

No Tel  : 03-8891 7424
No Fax : 03-8891 7415
[email protected]

cflat11 wrote:

FYI, I've submitted my application 5 weeks ago (mailed out direct myself)
I am patiently waiting to get a Ref Number to be assigned to my application.

Perhaps, count 2 weeks after the day they received it, not when you mailed it, and then email them asking for the status.

But since this program is suspended in the peninsula, have you considered Sabah or Sarawak? They have similar programs but requirements are a little different.

Recently, there is a new rule in Sabah for starting your application- you must rent a property there. They will require your rental agreement, a proof of money transfer for a rental deposit and a proof of your relocation there. They may dismiss your application if your passport is stamped in Kuala Lumpur. They are changing the rules right now and soon this will be confirmed and published. After that, they will be sending your file to KL immigration for criminal check and this will make this process much longer in Sabah, up to 6-8 months. So, the agents in Sabah are saying that now is a good time to enter before the process becomes lengthier.

What does it mean your passport cannot have the stamp of KL? Can the applicant visit KL at all? Or if the applicant ever apply to KL's  MM2H, then cannot apply Sabah' MM2H?   Thanks

ngmh wrote:

What does it mean your passport cannot have the stamp of KL? Can the applicant visit KL at all? Or if the applicant ever apply to KL's  MM2H, then cannot apply Sabah' MM2H?

I created a separate thread for it: MM2H in Sabah or Sarawak.

ngmh wrote:

expat000 wrote:

But since this program is suspended in the peninsula, have you considered Sabah or Sarawak? They have similar programs but requirements are a little different.

Recently, there is a new rule in Sabah for starting your application- you must rent a property there. They will require your rental agreement, a proof of money transfer for a rental deposit and a proof of your relocation there. They may dismiss your application if your passport is stamped in Kuala Lumpur. They are changing the rules right now and soon this will be confirmed and published. After that, they will be sending your file to KL immigration for criminal check and this will make this process much longer in Sabah, up to 6-8 months. So, the agents in Sabah are saying that now is a good time to enter before the process becomes lengthier.

What does it mean your passport cannot have the stamp of KL? Can the applicant visit KL at all? Or if the applicant ever apply to KL's  MM2H, then cannot apply Sabah' MM2H?

I only tell what I was told by two agents in Sabah recently.

If the MM2H office in Sabah finds a stamp from Kuala Lumpur in your passport, they reject your application. They have no way to know if you came to KL to apply for MM2H  or not. They can't know if you applied in KL. They suspect that many applicants apply in KL and Sabah at the same time because of the suspension on the peninsula.

They had many applicants in the past who's got MM2H in Sabah but never settled in Sabah. This program really didn't contribute to their economy.

It doesn't mean that it is impossible to apply even if you've been in KL or applied in KL. If  you really want to live in Sabah, you've got to explain to them why you don't want to live in the peninsula. You've got to earn their trust. You will have an interview with the MM2H officers. This will not be easy.

It is very important for Sabah that you sincerely want to live there and spend your money there. They are not going to extend your MM2H in 10 years if you can't prove that you lived majority of the time there.