Datuk Christina Liew
KOTA KINABALU (June 10): The Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry (KePKAS) was never invited for any meeting to specifically discuss the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, said Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
Liew said there were five meetings with the federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) which either she or her representatives attended.
“According to my ministry’s reports, none of the five meetings ever discussed the MM2H programme.
“We (KePKAS) were never invited for any meeting to specifically discuss the programme,” Liew stressed.
She was responding to federal Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Dato Sri Tiong King Sing’s statement that she had not attended meetings to discuss the MM2H issue.
Based on the records of KePKAS, Liew said she personally attended the meeting chaired by the federal minister on May 11, 2023 in Putrajaya.
“On occasion when I was not available, I sent representatives to attend other meetings called by Motac. On November 6, 2023, my deputy permanent secretary 1 and a Sabah Tourism Board (STB) senior research officer attended the second meeting. Similarly, the deputy permanent secretary 1 and the principal assistant secretary from KePKAS attended the third meeting on November 14, 2023.
“And on December 19, 2023, the then permanent secretary to KePKAS attended the fourth meeting. The deputy permanent secretary 1, the principal assistant secretary, and STB senior research officer attended the fifth meeting on January 16 this year,” Liew explained in a statement today.
Out of the five meetings, she said Tiong chaired three, while the other two meetings were chaired by Motac’s secretary-general and deputy minister respectively.
On June 8, Tiong claimed that Liew had not deemed it worthy of her to turn up for meetings to discuss the MM2H matter for Sabah.
Since assuming her ministerial post, Tiong said Liew had very rarely attended meetings that were convened by his ministry.
On May 27, Motac issued a directive to suspend the operations of all licensed agents handling MM2H applications, including those in Sabah and Sarawak.
On the Sabah-Malaysia My Second Home (Sabah-MM2H) programme, Liew said it was approved by the Sabah Cabinet in 2023 and efforts were continued to refine all the criteria until last month.
“KePKAS was entrusted with the responsibility of formulating and implementing the programme. Since then, we have been working on the terms and conditions for participation in the programme.
“For each of our meetings in Sabah with regard to Sabah-MM2H, my ministry had invited the Motac Sabah Office, the State Immigration Department, police, and Internal Affairs Office (under the Chief Minister’s Department) to attend.
“We were prepared to launch the programme on June 1, 2024. However, to our dismay and shock, Motac suspended the operations of all licensed agents in processing new applications, with immediate effect.
“Motac issued a directive dated May 27, 2024 to all licensed agents handling the MM2H applications, including those in Sabah and Sarawak, to cease operations,” the minister explained.
According to Liew, Motac’s arbitrary decision caught many stakeholders by surprise, particularly agents, purchasers, and potential investors, as well as the Sabah Cabinet.
“Furthermore, Motac has never discussed their decision with the Sabah State Government,” she pointed out.
“In view of this, my ministry wrote to Motac on May 28, 2024 to appeal over its decision to suspend the operations of licensed agents, especially the Sabah agents, some of whom still hold valid licences approved and issued by Motac.
“We had also stated in our letter to Motac that failing which, my ministry will appoint and authorise state representatives to process the applications of potential applicants for the Sabah-MM2H programme,” she said.
On May 31, Motac informed KePKAS that no one is allowed to process new applications for the Sabah-MM2H programme until further notice by Motac, Liew said.
She reiterated that Sabah will proceed with its own Sabah-MM2H programme, saying Sabah and Sarawak have a different policy and should not be lumped into the programme for Peninsular Malaysia.
“We concur with Sarawak’s Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah that Sabah and Sarawak have our own conditions for our programme,” she said.
“Therefore, we (Sabah) will proceed accordingly.”
