Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing urges MM2H agents to comply with local laws overseas to prevent fraud and confusion among applicants.
KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has urged MM2H Programme agents to comply with the laws of the countries where they operate when promoting the programme and recruiting participants overseas to prevent confusion and fraud.
He said having a licence to operate in Malaysia did not automatically mean MM2H 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 today.
Tiong said the matter was among the issues discussed during a meeting with the Malaysian Association in the Republic of Korea during his recent visit to the country, which was also attended by its president Dr Aaron Kim Hong-Seok, secretary-general Kim Jun-Hyung and several other representatives.
According to him, the association representatives told him that some MM2H agents in Malaysia might not fully understand the regulatory system and were dealing directly with local individuals, resulting in many 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 upon his return to Malaysia.
“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 Korean market had strong potential for MM2H, especially among retirees looking to make Malaysia their second home during the winter months.
He hoped MM2H agents would continue to intensify promotional efforts in the Korean market and collaborate with local industry partners to ensure more effective promotion of the programme.
