Sabah and Sarawak

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hi,

What I found out was that what it says on the MM2H stamp in your passport wasn't what was allowed, at least in 2007. Here's the relevant items from previous posts on this thread.

Reply #4 Back to Sabah. It seems that even if it says on your mm2h passport visa, "permitted to enter and remain in West Malaysia and Sabah until Date/Month/Year" you won't be allowed to do so for Sabah if the visa was issued at Immigration, KL. With the mm2h visa you'll only get the normal 3 months social visit pass if you enter Sabah.

Basically the "and Sabah" in your passport is null and void. So why is it on the visa?

If you already have an mm2h visa, and wish to re-locate to Sabah you'll have to employ an agent and make another mm2h application. However, you won't need to make another FD deposit, but you'll have to pay RM90 per year for a new mm2h visa.

Reply#9 You have to apply to Sabah immigration. The rules are the same as applying in KL, except you get a visa to stay in Sabah plus West Malaysia.

As posted above, MoTour have stated (in a very roundabout way) that if you apply in KL then you're only allowed to stay in West Malaysia. Even if the mm2h visa is stamped "permitted to remain in West Malaysia and Sabah" the Sabah bit doesn't apply.

So if you already have a mm2h visa and decide to move to Sabah then you'll need to apply again, and you'll end up with 2 visas in your passport. Both, I assume, saying the same thing.

Reply#12 The latest email to MoTour about this anomaly pointed out that a passport could have one MM2H visa saying "permitted to enter West Malaysia and Sabah" with the Sabah bit null and void. And a second MM2H visa saying "permitted to enter Sabah and West Malaysia" with both bits being valid.

A reply was received a couple of days ago. It said that yes, you'd end up with 2 MM2H visas. The email also explained the anomaly as "what is essential is the language that the relevant authorities understand at the moment." Basically, it seems that Sabah Immigration won't OK what KL Immigration has stamped in your passport.

Having emailed Motour and received the above response I left the matter. If anyone is counting on using a KL issued MM2H visa for staying long-term in Sabah I'd really check this out to determine the current position.

I was checking this out because at one stage the MM2H application requirements in Sabah lagged behind those of KL (the Peninsula) and were less financially onerous. I didn't understand why, if someone was using an agent, they wouldn't apply via Sabah and get the Peninsula included as well. I then found out that this didn't work the other way around. So I tried to confirm the situation.

Of course, having been told by someone that a Sabah MM2H visa is good for the Peninsula, but not the other way around, then I thought, hmmmm, I wonder if it really is? Who knows unless they try and let us all know.

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As I understand it, both Sabah and Sarawak retained their own immigration laws and controls upon joining Malaysia. In the old days immigration at KK airport was up to a 1 hour nightmare wait, as everyone, that includes Malaysians had to check into immigration. Its much relaxed today, however such things as a West Malaysian working in Sabah or Sarawak must have and renew work permits just like anyone else even today. I'm told a West Malaysia can't move to live in Sarawak at all and foreigners are envied as its easier for them!!. I don't know how true this is, but I'm told some West Malaysians have tried. A Malaysian friends son has lived in KK for 17 years, never being accepted to live as a local and lived by renewing permits year to year.

I'm also told that a visitors 90 day visa can be renewed at the local immigration office in Sabah (and possible Sarawak is similar), without the need to exit the country (from Malaysian highcom Australia). There are anomalies however. Recently we decided to travel to KK via Labuan (vastly cheaper way to go) We were not asked to produce our passport at either Labuan airport (going in or out) nor at either Labuan or KK ferry terminal. There appear to be holes in the system. Likewise Singapore by train must sight your passport the Malaysian side, but no forms or chops.

Not that any of this helps to discussion, but may put things into a bit more perspective.

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hi,

Likewise Singapore by train must sight your passport the Malaysian side, but no forms or chops.

Slightly off topic. The reason that there's no chop on your passport Malaysia & Singapore via train is that Singapore imposed CQI (Customs, Quarantine, Immigration) at its railway station just before the causeway when it opened it's new Woodlands CQI complex.

Malaysia objected and insisted on keeping the CQI at the railway station in Keppel. It was all part of the Malaysian railway land issue plus the ongoing Mahathir vs LKY dust-up. The upshot was that Malaysia said screw-it then we won't have any CQI so we can't stamp anything.

And that's how it's been since.

With the recent post Mahathir agreement on Malaysian railway land and the Keppel station, the CQI issue seems to have been solved (?) and there's even talk of re-inventing the Crooked Bridge.

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Just had a reply to an email from

CAROLINE CHEN
Assistant Secretary
Tourism Coordination and Regional Cooperation Unit & Sarawak/Malaysia My Second Home Programme "One Stop Agency"
Ministry of Tourism & Heritage Sarawak (MinTH)
Level 2, Bangunan Baitulmakmur (MASJA)
Medan Raya, Petra Jaya
93050 Kuching, Sarawak
 
Tel: +6082 319306 /319 313 / 319 309
Fax: +6082 441 277 / 445 311
URL: http://www.minth.sarawak.gov.my


I specifically asked the question as follows

I need confirmation about travel between Sarawak/Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.
As a cruising couple we plan to spend the majority of our time in the Borneo area, but will also be sailing to Peninsular Malaysia and on to Thailand.
I have  heard that there may be restrictions as to how much time I can spend in Peninsular Malaysia but I find this hard to believe as we are still in Malaysia and it is one country.
Can you confirm if this story is correct?
If it is correct, how long are we allowed to stay in Peninsular Malaysian waters for?

And had this reply

Visa validity
When an applicant holds Malaysia My Second Home Programme visa issued in Sarawak, they are allowed to stay around Malaysia based on the validity of the visa (e.g.: MM2H visa is approved for 10 years – applicant may enter/exit any state within 10 years)
 
Hope that the above replies have answered your queries.
 
Thank you very much.

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So has it really answered our query? Not enough detail? Sure we can enter and exit. But can we stay?
Can we really use a Sarawak visa to then live for 10 years in Penang, never visiting Sarawak again(for example)?

Hmmm.

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I can't answer the main point raised in the thread. When I eventually apply for MM2H it will be for Sarawak. I got an email reply from Christine Chen last December but subsequent inquireis have not evoked a response.
Just an observation which might have implications for the 90 day chop option is that when I has in and out of Sarawak several times 2 years ago my passport was always stamped allowing a 30 day stay which would probably make this option impractical. However, on my recent vists this month it was for 90 days.

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She's been pretty good with my emails
Had 5 come back in the last 2 days

Again, confirmation of what I am after (I think) and for more than 90 days

Visa validity
When an applicant holds Malaysia My Second Home Programme visa issued in Sarawak, they are allowed to stay around Malaysia based on the validity of the visa (e.g.: MM2H visa is approved for 10 years – applicant may enter/exit any state within 10 years)
 

My understanding from what you have said is that it would then be OK to spend 4 months in Sabah/ Kota Kinabalu  waters, THEN 4 months in Sarawak/Kuching waters followed by 4 months in  Peninsular Malaysian waters and repeating this trip yearly with no visa restrictions.

Yes, the MM2H visa issued in Sarawak permit applicant to enter and remain in Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia/Sabah/Sarawak) for as long as the validity of visa.