MM2H Moving Forward

[Qjumper]

I thought it might be useful to get members comments on what improvements could be made to the MM2H program and what practical methods could be used to put those improvements before the government.

Now that majors changes have been made to the program it may be a good time to open a conversation with the new management.

[corporateangel]

Hi Bob

My initial suggestion would be to get the Ministry to seperate MM2Hers from 'general foreigners' so that we don't have to pay the high deposits to government owned utilities such as TM (local 75rm us 1075rm - apparently due to us/foreigners risk of defaulting on a bill).

As is quite obvious the chances of us defaulting is infinitely slimmer than other foreigners and locals due to the hoops we have to jump through, the vetting, our financial position and the investment we have to make to get here.

Also a complete 'waiver' or at least 50% reduction on stamp duty for MM2Hers for commercial and residential property purchases.

Thats my suggestions

Cheers

Paul

[Qjumper]

Thanks for that lets put them on the list. I think there would be great support for those suggestions.

I would like to see an MM2H office in Penang. I cant see why we all have to troupe down to KL for our Id cards when local folk can get them here.



Thanks Paul

[Brian]

I forgot to post that I finally got my TM deposit back !!  6 months after I closed the account and many many emails. Managed it in the end by getting an old pal of mine in KL to ring TM on my behalf and suggested that I was going to take legal action (all the bloody good that would have done I guess).

Cheers

Brian

[scott]

hi,

This is a small item. I'd like the application figures to be more transparent. Any application or approval can be 1 or several people. The current figures don't give this.

The figures don't differentiate between DIY and agent applications. Who, outside MoTour, knows what is what. This could influence promotional focuses.

The figures don't give pass/fail rates. Or DIY P/F and agent P/F. This is informative. If the pass rate for DIY is higher than for agents then the procedures/forms etc. must be fairly user friendly.

I'd like the conditional approval letter to have a box for visa holders to tick, if they want to, agreeing to be contacted by email for feedback purposes.

It's basic statistical data.

regards, Scott

[newvillage]

I really like the idea that the government should grant us permanent residency status after a continuous stay of perhaps 10 years in this country. Only then will a participant feel safe to truly retire here. PR eligibility is also a great, great selling point for the government to attract more qualified applicants to the program.

Someone, perhaps Scott who is in a better position to gather the relevant information, should put together a petition on behalf of the mm2hers and submit it to the government for consideration.

I like to thank members who suggested this idea and and let's hope it will take off.

Best regards.

[rag]

Yes! Newvillage,

I agree a PR after 10 years will encourage more participants. Bali allows that after 5 years and in Australia you can apply for PR after 4 years temp status.

There are several factors to consider in retiring to a new country and the most important one is security or tenure of permanency particularly when one is aging and have shifted almost all assets and bought a home in the new country. This is the major weakness of the MM2H program. Other weakness has been mainly addressed like part time job or self employment.

Health insurance above a certain age is also something that should have a guarantee otherwise retirees will have to return to UK or Australia for long term health care.

cheers

[loopi]

Hi All,
As we seem to be putting down our 'wish list' I would like to add my irritations with the current system.
My difficultly is the timing of the car purchase. I got MM2H in July 2008 but may not move to Malaysia until early 2010 for various reasons...but the stipulations are that I only have one year to order a new car. I have to say that Toyota and Honda have both offered help to do the whole thing and as I understand it , after the first approval from MOF they give you a further year to actually place the order. Why not have this simply as 'when you arrive you can apply for a tax free car'. It would still be one car per applicant but without the jumping through hoops. I still have the issue of when I buy the car what do I do with it until I get there.

It was a similar difficulty with returning to Malaysia to get the visa once the approval letter had been issued. We had already taken leave from work for that year and couldn't get back until the following year which again made life difficult ...it would be good if the time limit was increased to 12 months after the approval letter. It's not always easy to simply 'pop back' .

I find it very difficult to understand why when a country is desperate to prop up the housing market by an influx of foreign funds and people, that petty bureaucrats make it harder and harder for people to get in. The idea that somebody put forward of increasing the FD to 500,000Rm beggars belief. Either they want people to come or they don't and from the current application figures I'm leaning towards 'they don't'.

And while I'm having a whinge....why have a fixed deposit at all. If retirees are moving to My and buying a house and spending all their pensions isn't that enough?

So...
1) Increase visa stamp time to one year..
2) Relax time limits on buying a car (or importing come to that) until the applicant moves to My.
3) Scrap the FD...it's petty nonsense.

Loopi.

[golfer]

Good suggestions coming though here. I agree with loopi that some of the time limitations should be extended or scrapped all together. I don't see the need to have a time limit on the car purchase at all; allow the primary visa holder to purchase one car tax free any time within the period the visa is valid. A very attractive addition would be to allow the purchase of a new car with each extension (5 or 10 years, whatever is the period for your visa)    .

Scrapping the FD may be more problematic. As I see it, Malaysia would not want an MM2H'er whose source of income has dried up to be a burden on the MY society. Having the minimum FD there guarantees that the 'insolvent' MM2H'er can be shipped out to their country of origin at no expense to the MY government.   

Cheers
Poul

[Qjumper]

How do we put these suggestions in front of the Ministry?

And, Golfer why are you beating that poor rabbit with a golf bat?

Bob

[loopi]

Hi Paul,
My point about FD is that we have already supplied bank statements, payslips, pension details and about to invest in property and the idea of the gov't needing an extra guarantee seemed a bit over the top....but really I was most put out by the idea of somebody putting forward the idea of increasing the FD to 500,000 Rm. At the same time that I was putting my FD in My at 4.**%, I was investing in Australia at 6.75% and it didn't feel like one of my better moves. (As it happened with the exchange rate changes, I should have sold my house and put it all in My but that's another story. )
My overall idea is that the whole process should be simplified as much as possible.After all, that is surely what the gov't is aiming at in order to attract as many people as possible.

I also think that at least posting our ideas on this site means that somebody in Motour will be reading them.
Let's hope anyway.
Loopi.

[golfer]

Hi Loopi,

I think anyone would balk at having to tie up RM500K in FD! - Much better return can be had elsewhere. Let's wait and see, I don't think that one will ever get legs.

I agree, let's get all the ideas on the table here.......and pehaps one of the retirees on this site can collate and present them to the Ministry for us. 

[loopi]

With regard to my first point of increasing the visa stamp time to one year....I could add to my wish list to have NO time limit but ALSO not to have to return to Malaysia on a special visit just to get the stamp.
As Motour at this stage know everything about you...exactly how much money you earn or have in your bank or expect from pension etc etc. ...they also have your photograph etc....why couldn't you just turn up to the appropriate lane at KLIA and the stamp be waiting for you.
This happens now for thousands of people who enter Australia on working holiday visas I believe. They apply online around the world and when they swipe their passports at immigration it pops up automatically. The applicant should also be armed with the letter as proof.?? If you were to enter at any other point in Malaysia then it could just mean a visit to PWTC to change the visa or get the sticker put in your passport. Simple.
The medical was a bit of nonsense too. The doctor we went to did nothing to examine us except to see that we were actually alive. ...and to take his fee. An alternative could be found here...or at least something could be set up so everyone didn't have to work it out when they got to My.
Loopi.

[Qjumper]

So the main improvements/changes to MM2H requested by posters are:

• MM2H status to be recognised by utility companies
• Waiver or Reduction in stamp duty
• Functions to be avaialble in other parts of Malaysia
• Clarify and enhance statistics (including pass/fail rate and more)
• Feedback channel by email (agreement for this to be done at approval time)
• Progression to full PR after qualifying period (e.g.10 years)
• Car purchase to be allowed after current 12 month limit
• Tax free car allowed for each Visa period
• Simplify and streamline the whole application and renewal process
• Time limit to collect visa to be extended from current 12 month limit for applicants in receipt of approval letter
• Cap the FD at current levels or scrap it (concern over RM500,000 level)

If I have got any wrong or if you have any more please let me know.



Regards Bob

[rag]

Hi QJumper

It looks about right. ... I would like to include the RM$10k permonth income be reduced to about a more realistic figure of RM$ 6k in view of lower interest return and lower exchange rate. My projected income from OZ dollars has had dropped from RM$240k PA to RM$120k just about. If currency fatuates further it could drop to even RM$80k PA.

Cheers