PAC pans ‘unsatisfactory’ management of MM2H programme

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today ticked off the way the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme has been managed, calling it unsatisfactory and urging immediate improvements to ensure that it achieves its original objectives.

PAC found among others that the data and documents of MM2H participants were not systematically maintained. As a result, it said, their activities, expenses and asset ownership could not be verified.

“In addition, there was no complete record to identify the overall value of properties owned by MM2H participants. Property ownership data was only recorded if the purchase of the property involved the use of fixed deposits (FD) which is attached to the requirements of the MM2H programme,” PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh said in a statement today.

As such, he said, PAC recommended that the role of the tourism, arts and culture ministry in promoting the MM2H programme be strengthened in order to achieve the original goal of stimulating the country’s economy in tourism sub-sectors such as education, healthcare, real estate and automobile industry.

He said improvement measures are needed as the MM2H programme is able to contribute to the country’s revenue and economic growth in various sectors.

Meanwhile, the home ministry was advised to enhance its data storage application system especially in terms of monitoring the number of participants according to categories that are divided into new applications and extension applications, participants’ activities and expenses, asset ownership and other issues.

“The new policy on the MM2H programme must be customer-friendly and more competitive compared to neighbouring countries.

“The participation criteria should be more flexible according to the diversity of the targeted participants. Engagement sessions with all stakeholders should be intensified before the new policy is finalised,” Wong said.

A total of three proceedings on the MM2H programme were held on Nov 24, Dec 1 and Dec 2 which saw five witnesses called: Auditor-General Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid, tourism ministry secretary-general Noor Zari Hamat, MM2H Consultant Association chairman Anthony Liew Yong Huat, Home Ministry deputy secretary-general (policy and control) Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud.