Making Sarawak Home? Here’s the Latest on S-MM2H New Requirement (2025 Summarized Edition)

Our Tourism Minister, Dato Sri Karim, spilled the beans at a press conference, and it sounds like Sarawak’s taking the reins on this even more now. Apparently, the big tourism people in Malaysia (MOTAC) gave Sarawak the go-ahead back in July 2024 to handle both the applications and the folks who help you with them (the agents).

To figure out these new rules, the Sarawak team chatted with all the important people – you know, folks from the main tourism office here, the immigration people in Sarawak (JIMS), the legal eagles at the State Attorney-General’s Chambers (SAG), the health gurus at the Sarawak State Health Department (JKNS), and even some other regional bigwigs. They even had a round table with the S-MM2H agents themselves back in September 2024 to get their input. Sounds like they really wanted to get it right!

Anyway, all these new guidelines and agent rules got the thumbs-up from the Sarawak Cabinet on October 24, 2024. Dato Sri Karim mentioned that since Sarawak took over the S-MM2H program in 2020, they set up a “One-Stop Panel” to make things faster and easier for applications.

Just to give you an idea of how popular this is, from way back in 2007 up to 2019, over 1,200 people got approved. But get this – between 2020 and August 2024 (after Sarawak made some tweaks to make it more appealing), they approved almost 1,500 more! The top countries with folks wanting to chill here long-term are China, the UK, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the USA, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Indonesia.

And things are really picking up! In 2023 alone, there was a 23% jump in folks joining, bringing in over RM56 million in fixed deposits to Sarawakian banks. And just up to August 2024, another almost 400 people got approved, with a whopping RM77 million plus parked in our local banks. Seems like people are really liking what Sarawak’s offering!

Okay, so what are the actual changes for the S-MM2H program to match what the federal government wants for the regular MM2H renewals? Here’s the lowdown:

What’s New for Your Application:

1. a) Good news – if your country has good vibes with Malaysia (diplomatic ties), and you’re 30 or older, you can apply!
2. b) You’ll need to open a fixed deposit account in a Sarawak bank. The magic number is RM500,000 for the whole shebang – you, your spouse, and any kids tagging along. They’ll also want to see proof that you’ve got pension funds, other income from overseas, and at least three months of savings to show you can take care of yourselves while you’re living it up here.
3. c) Here’s a new one: if you want to extend your visa or renew it, you gotta actually spend at least 30 days in Sarawak each year. Think of it as a mini-vacay you have to take! 😉
4. d) Your S-MM2H pass will still be for five years at a time, and you can renew it for another five. After ten years, it’s like starting fresh with a new application. But if you’re already on the program, the old renewal rules still apply to you.
5. e) Heads up if you’re thinking of working full-time – you can’t under the S-MM2H. However, you might be able to do some part-time work (think professional gigs in education, banking, manufacturing, or medical stuff) if the big boss of the state (State Secretary) says it’s okay through their special unit (ILMU). And even then, it can’t be more than 20 hours a week. You’ll need to apply to the State Authority if you want to work part-time.
6. f) If you’ve got a business idea, you could be a “sleeping partner” in a joint venture with local Sarawakians in certain sectors approved by ILMU. You’d need to own at least 49% of the business, with a minimum capital of RM250,000.
7. g) Buying property is now optional if you’re 30 or older. If you do want to buy a place, the minimum price is RM600,000 if it’s in the Kuching area, and RM500,000 in other parts of Sarawak. You can sell your place after five years if you want.
8. h) You’ll need to get a health check-up and have medical insurance that covers you for your whole S-MM2H pass duration. Gotta stay healthy!
9. i) There’s a one-time, non-refundable fee of RM5,000 that you’ll need to pay to the Ministry of Tourism here when you apply.
10. j) You, your spouse, and any kids coming with you will need to provide a “Letter of Good Conduct” from your home country. They’ll also run security checks here to make sure everyone’s on the up and up.
11. k) Bringing your helper (maid) is still possible, but you’ll need to follow the current rules set by the Immigration Department for foreign maids.
    
    

New Rules for the Folks Who Help You (the Agents):

If a company wants to be a licensed S-MM2H agent, here are the main things they need to do:

1. a) They need to be a proper private limited company (Sdn Bhd) registered under Malaysian law.
2. b) They need to have a paid-up capital of at least RM100,000.
3. c) All the people who own the company (shareholders) need to be 100% Malaysian citizens and either native Sarawakians or companies owned by Sarawakians.
4. d) Those shareholders can’t have any ownership in any other licensed S-MM2H company. Gotta keep things separate!
5. e) Foreigners can’t be on the company’s board of directors.
6. f) All the board directors need to be 100% Malaysian citizens, and at least 51% of them need to be native Sarawakians.
7. g) The company can operate anywhere in Sarawak.
8. h) S-MM2H agents can charge you fees for their services, but those fees need to follow the government’s price control rules. Gotta keep things fair!
   
   So, there you have it – the latest on the S-MM2H program for 2025! Sounds like Sarawak’s making some changes to keep things in line with the national program while still offering a great long-term stay option. If you’re thinking of making Sarawak your home, it’s definitely worth looking into!