Sabah and Sarawak

[Jumping Jack]

But as a dedicated renter Scott and it seems that you take many trips out of the country anyway could you not live there or recurring social pass visa's like many do in the West

Cheers

JJ

[riskyrisk]

You can't go East if you started in the West. But you can go West if you start in the East.

Thanks for the input! What are you saying with the above quote? I thought you're blocked East MM2H cannot to West and West MM2H cannot go to East. At least to stay and live for longer than 90 days(or whatever the number is).

I guess you mean, you could alway show more money(FD, income) and trade up.

Or, another funny thought, you apply for both. The income requirement can overlap I guess. The FDs are probably the only thing that cannot.

[scott]

hi, riskyrisk,

I spent considerable time in 2007/2008 trying to get a definitive answer of the east/west travel issue. All responses were coy.

As I see it the mm2h peninsula visa (the West bit) is not accepted in Sarawak & Sabah. So, even with an mm2h visa saying "permitted to remain in West Malaysia and Sabah" you can't stay in Sabah, and you can't stay in Sarawak as it doesn't even say that anyway.

However, I think that with a Sabah or Sarawak visa (the East bit) then you can stay in the West. No-one has said that you can't. This is what I couldn't find out. No-one was saying anything.

If anyone knows please post. I couldn't even get anyone (MoTour, Sabah, Sarawak tourism plus alloexpat Sabah & Sarawak boards) to let me know what a Sabah mm2h visa said, and what a Sarawak mm2h visa said.

[Breathless]

hi,

The latest information that I have on Sarawak is that the social visit pass for MM2H in Sarawak is also valid for the Peninsula. If anyone has such a MM2H visa, and can confirm, that would be great.

There's also now a One-Stop Agency for Sarawak.

Ms. CAROLINE CHEN
Assistant Secretary
Public Relations, ICT Unit and Sarawak/Malaysia My Second Home Programme "One Stop Agency"
Ministry of Urban Development & Tourism, Sarawak
Level 2, Bangunan Baitulmakmur (MASJA),
Medan Raya, Petra Jaya,
93050 Kuching, Sarawak
 
Tel: +6082-319306 (Direct Line) / +6082-319313 (General Line)
Fax: +6082-441277 / 445311
e-mail:  carolcty@sarawaknet.gov.my 
URL: http://www.mudtour.sarawak.gov.my

regards, Scott

That appears dead now unfortunately, I have been sending emails for a while to them with no reply 

Today on this page
http://www.mudtour.sarawak.gov.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=31&Itemid=81

I tried to access the webpage at the bottom, http://www.moth.sarawak.gov.my and get the" Sorry! We could not find www.moth.sarawak.gov.my
It may be unavailable or may not exist. Try using the suggestions or related links below, or search again using our web search." message.

Why oh why is it always so difficult.

[stuurman]

On my West Malaysia MM2H visa it states:
Permitted to enter and remain in West Malaysia and Sabah until ....

So only Sarawak is exempted.

[scott]

hi,

This is taken from Reply #17 on this thread :

However, the West Malaysia visa is good only for the Peninsula, which includes Penang and Langkawi. The visa says "West Malaysia and Sabah" but Sabah Immigration have their own views on the "and Sabah" bit and will not allow you to stay more than a normal tourist visa. It's an anomaly.

Reply #17 was posted in 2007 so things may have changed. I've also recently tried the Sabah gov site and the roundabout referral to agents is still there. The post from Breathless would seem to indicate that Sarawak has also gone under.

Quite honestly I gave up on getting much clarity about mm2h from both these places some time ago. My own feeling is that you'd need to go visit and sort stuff then. Interestingly if anyone has obtained mm2h in either Sarawak or Sabah then they haven't posted here or any other mm2h forum that I can remember.

[Breathless]

. My own feeling is that you'd need to go visit and sort stuff then.

I did that recently and had as much luck tracking down detailed MM2H info as I did tracking down a detailed map of Sabah, which was none.

Sad really as I am real keen on basing myself out of KK after seeing how nice it is (clear water and a fantastic marina) and would rather not have to continually check in and out, though in the short term, living on a boat this will not be an issue.

[scott]

hi, breathless,

Thanks for that. I also fancied KK. I guess you could do a visa trip via Brunei. I wonder how feasible that is.

I guess that in Sabah the Tourism folks aren't too interested in MM2H. The only route seems to be via an agent if you can get one to respond coherently. The only agent that I came across recently seemed to be a part-time guy. The email response time was days. I think that there's a couple of agents and that's it. That was some time ago. It may have changed . . .   

For Sarawak, I dunno. Last time I read anything applicants had to make the application themselves - no agents allowed. So I think that Sarawak is a go & try to sort it place.

[Breathless]

I guess you could do a visa trip via Brunei. I wonder how feasible that is.

Very feasible for stocking up on duty free supplies in Labuan every couple of months
Seems the cheap diesel in any sort of quantity in Brunei may be more of an issue

My main concern will be how many times can I do this back and forth and across to Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand and back before they decide enough is enough

[scott]

hi, breathless,

I shouldn't worry. I did the Singapore run for 8 years on a 90-Day visa. And the JB guys are hassle-ready but that was on the way out. Coming in it was easy-peasy. Amazing what an honest face can do for you - plus the Tourist camera, Hawaiian shirt and Polaroid sunglasses.

I didn't have the hat with the corks but a jockey cap with "I Love Malaysia" on it always helped.   

If you're doing Thailand, Langkawi, places south, Singapore, Sarawak, then Sabah, I'd reckon your passport will wear out years before immigration has a go. Sounds the perfect yottie/tourist run. Throw-in a couple of longer term haul outs with trips back home and that's it for 20 ++ years.

Some friends on mine on a yacht in Langkawi were there for 15 years or more on a tourist visa. Some trips up to Thailand on the boat, some runs to Satun on the ferry. All very legit so no problems.

[riskyrisk]

On my West Malaysia MM2H visa it states:
Permitted to enter and remain in West Malaysia and Sabah until ....

So only Sarawak is exempted.

Can others let us know if they have the same as stuurman? That would be good news. You get West and Sabah on the same visa?

[Breathless]

If you're doing Thailand, Langkawi, places south, Singapore, Sarawak, then Sabah, I'd reckon your passport will wear out years before immigration has a go. Sounds the perfect yottie/tourist run. Throw-in a couple of longer term haul outs with trips back home and that's it for 20 ++ years.

Look out, he's cottoned onto my cunning plan

I have a mate in Vanuatu (he's a boatbuilder and inter island ferry owner, she manages a resort) and I was thinking possibly a top side of New Guinea - Solomans- Vanuatu run may be on the cards as well.
All very nice but the food sucks ( Tuluk and lap lap) and diesel is dear.

[stuurman]

Can others let us know if they have the same as stuurman? That would be good news. You get West and Sabah on the same visa?

My wife's visa states the same
Both were issued in March 2009.

[sananton]

Riskyrisk,

Our visas (my wife & I) stated the same as Stuurman's.  Permitted to enter and remain in West Malaysia and Sabah until ........  Our visas were issued on 09 June 2009.

[jr6020]

Same with mine (West Malaysia and Sabah) issued June 22, 2007...Jim, USA