Malaysia

Malaysia Tropical Countries Best In The World Vacation - Truly Colourful and Facinating Malaysia

16/06/2012

BERNAMA – 15 June 2012, FRIDAY

Laksa: Langkawi's Latest Attraction

By Sakini Mohd Said

LANGKAWI, June 14 (Bernama) -- Fancy this! Hollywood personality Mel Gibson once remarked that 'laksa' was one of his favourite foods. This Australian-born film actor/director also claims to be able to prepare this Malaysian dish.

Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup which combines the Chinese and Malay cultures found in Malaysia. There are two basic types of laksa - the curry laksa and the asam laksa. The noodles are usually made from rice.

There is also a distinct variant, called 'laksam,' from Kelantan, where the gravy is made from coconut milk mixed with fish fillet.

Served when it is still hot, laksa is a 'must eat' dish when one is visiting places such as Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Johor, Kelantan and even Sarawak.

Laksa is a unique dish. This rice noodle dish from a particular state will show some variations when it is prepared in other states, while still retaining certain common features.

For example, the laksa from Kelantan tends to be sweeter than that from Melaka, which typically has the 'nyonya' flavour.

Laksa, which was originally a simple village dish, has now graduated to featuring on the menus of five-star hotels.

Recently, the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada), in an effort to attract more tourists to the resort island, organised the three-day Langkawi International Laksa Carnival (Lilac), which began on May 25.

WHY LAKSA?

Apart from the country's attractive locations and culture, Malaysia's local delicacies have a pull factor that attracts tourists. A report has revealed that Malaysia's food and beverage sector contributed 17.2 per cent of the income generated by the tourism sector last year.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen was reported as saying that during 2011, the tourism industry generated more than RM1 billion per week, and the food and beverage industry generated RM9.72 billion (17.2 per cent) of the annual income from tourism.

Hence, the ministry has organised various food-based carnivals, including the Fabulous Food 1Malaysia event, as a platform to promote exotic local dishes among foreign visitors.

The usual food spreads include delicacies such as rendang, traditional cakes, lemang, satay (grilled meat on skewers) and other items, but during Lilac this year, the focus was on laksa, and not on other delicacies.

One may ask, "What is so good about it? Why laksa?"

"Why not? Name one dish that is well known among the states, and surely it is laksa," remarked the chief executive officer of Lada, Tan Sri Khalid Ramli, when Bernama asked him why laksa was selected for the carnival.

The word 'laksa' is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word 'laksha,' which means 'a lot' - obviously referring to the numerous ingredients and condiments used to prepare this dish.

· Additional info on our beloved KL for potential foreign visitors to Malaysia. They should know what’s going in Malaysia before coming here for holiday or vacation.



NEW STRAITS TIMES – 15 JUNE 2012, FRI

Survey: KL among most affordable travel spots

By B. SURESH RAM | [email protected]

THE federal capital has emerged as one of the least expensive cities for tourists.

KUALA LUMPUR: It emerged as the fifth least expensive place for tourists to visit behind Hanoi, Vietnam which claimed the first place as being the least expensive place to visit. This was followed by Beijing, China; Bangkok, Thailand; and Budapest, Hungary.

The world's largest travel site, TripAdvisor, in its TripIndex 2012 survey made the cost comparison of an evening out for two people in 48 key tourist cities around the world. It is based on the combined costs for two of one night stay in a four-star hotel, cocktails, a two course dinner with drinks and a return taxi transportation (two journeys of approximately 3.2 kilometres each).

Kuala Lumpur scored on the average US$113.52 (RM362.45) for hotel, US$3.67 for a return taxi trip, US$19.68 for cocktails for two and US$57.55 for dinner. The total cost for two comes to US$194.43.

"TripIndex helps travellers see where they will get more bang for their buck.

"Interestingly, once on the ground, European cities such as Budapest and Warsaw turn out to be as affordable as some Asian cities, while Singapore and Sydney are in the ranks of London, Paris and New York as the most expensive cities," said TripAdvisor spokesperson Jean-Ow Yeong.

Southeast Asia was the region which claimed the most cities in the 10 least expensive list. Europe dominated the most expensive list with seven cities, including London which took first place. while Oslo, Zurich, Paris, Stockholm, Moscow and Copenhagen took the second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth places respectively.

Last year, Malaysia recorded 24.7 million tourist arrivals and raked in RM58.3 billion in tourist expenditure receipts

16/06/2012

www.mirror.co.uk, 10 JUNE 2012, SUN

Borneo to be wild in Malaysia
Tom McTague treks in the jungle, paddles a canoe, climbs a 13,000ft mountain and drinks rice wine with the locals on an adventurous trip to East Malaysia

Paddle: Villagers on a canoe trip in Sabah

Give Bear Grylls 10 years in Borneo and he’d barely scratch the surface. So your average podgy Brit on his annual two-week break doesn’t stand a chance.

The island is huge, diverse and packed full of the most beautiful and mad sights you’re ever likely to see – from luminous insects, pygmy elephants and orang-utans to whooping hornbill birds, stunning coral reefs and fist-sized black bumblebees.

It is perfectly possible to be relaxing one morning in surroundings so luxurious an oligarch would blush, but find yourself pushing a taxi-boat up river rapids in the afternoon.

My fiancee and I visited Borneo’s two Malaysian states, Sabah and Sarawak. First things first, we could not recommend the place more highly, with its perfect beaches, untouched jungle and endless outdoor activities.

We started by flying from Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah – the province covering Borneo’s northeast tip.

KK, as is it known, is an OK city but, really, it’s a gateway to two national parks. The first, Tunku Abdul Rahman, takes in five islands. We stayed at a tiny eco-resort called Bunga Raya, on Gaya Island – a 20-minute boat ride from KK.

The place is easily the most jaw-dropping resort I’ve been to. Set on a paradise island, around 20 mini chalets – with hand-made ceilings, plunge pools and extraordinary views – have been built into the jungle looking down on to a perfect, crescent beach.

Sunny: Tom at Bunga Raya

Even the biggest grump would struggle not to be impressed, sitting on his private balcony as wild boar roam on the beach beneath.

And that’s after snorkelling above pristine coral reef, swimming in the infinity pool and joining a jungle trek. The place isn’t cheap but it’s doesn’t really get any better – honeymoon perfection if ever there was such a thing. Another reason to head to KK is for the island’s biggest mountain, Mount Kinabalu – an hour or two’s drive inland.

Mt Kinabalu rising above the rainforest in Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia

Getty

A guide is required for the two-day trek to the 13,435ft summit through the Unesco world heritage-listed national park surrounding it, which is said to be home to more plant species than the whole of Europe and North America.

Day one consists of a fairly testing but fascinating five-to-eight hour jungle climb up to Laban Rata Resthouse, perched at 10,723ft on the mountainside.

Day two – despite the cold, dark, 2am start and inevitably aching legs – starts off as a much more challenging climb with ropes and sharp drops to keep the mind focussed.

It’s all worth it, of course, once we make the top by sunrise at around 6am. From Low’s Peak – as it is known, after a British explorer who first tried to climb it – the views back to KK and surrounding coastline are sublime.

Less sublime is the gruelling, knee-crunching, six-hour descent. A trip to KK’s all-inclusive Sutera Harbour Resort – great for kids and golfing adults – will prove a godsend after all that climbing. From KK, with much reluctance, we left Sabah for neighbouring Sarawak, in the northwest of the island.

There we threw ourselves to a fierce-sounding jungle trek called the Headhunter Trail, through the Unesco world heritage Gunung Mulu National Park, and a four-day visit to an area near the Kalimantan border called the Kelabit Highlands.

Mulu itself is little more than a hotel serving tourists heading for the BBC Planet Earth-featured national park, with its world-famous bat caves, primary rainforest and other natural wonders.

The easy jungle walk from the hotel to a series of astonishing caves is a must.

Inside Deer Cave – so big five St Paul’s Cathedrals would fit in it – live five million bats. Every night, between 5pm and 7pm, they swarm out into the dusk sky – first forming a giant swirling ball before streaming off towards the jungle for an insect supper.

Vast: A visit to Deer Cave

The next day we begin the two-day Headhunter Trail, tracing the route taken by warriors seeking other tribes’ heads. We were reassured this stopped in the 1960s.

It starts with a wonderful canoe ride upstream, involving several awkward heaves up shallow rapids, past little villages before hitting a well-trodden trail through the jungle to Camp 5, where we rest for the night.

The camp – with picnic tables, a cooking room and outdoor dorm-style quarters to sleep – is set in a jungle clearing, clinging to a gorgeous river and overlooked by huge, spiked mountains.

It is a remarkable place to sit and drink neat gin with the guides – once we’ve checked every inch of our bodies for the leeches that somehow get on our skin.

After another day’s walk, through dense, intoxicating jungle, we reach Terikan River, which takes us to the other side of the park to an Iban tribe’s longhouse village – and a joyous night drinking rice wine with the locals.

Longhouses are like bamboo terraces with a massive shared veranda at the front, where the entire village seems to sit and chat at night.

From the village, we travel to a hot, sticky town called Limbang to catch a flight up to Bario, in the cooler interior close to the Indonesian border. A village more than a town, Bario sits in a glorious setting amid rolling hills and pretty paddy fields. We walk to a stunning hamlet called Pa Lungan and the wonderful Batu Ritung Lodge, run by Nabun Aram and Supang Galih, who cook using ingredients from the jungle supermarket that surrounds their home.

Drinks: Making pals in Pa Lungan

This little place was home to British troops in the Second World War, leaving older villagers with fond memories of Mars bars.

It would be impossible to find a more relaxed place. Go fishing or night-hunting, take a guided walk up to any of the nearby peaks or simply relax with a book and take in the views. Either way it’s wonderful.

In fact, that sums up Borneo. Whatever you do, it’s pretty wonderful.

Get there
Emirates flies from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow via Dubai to Kuala Lumpur. Economy return fares in July start from £794 inc taxes.

Air Asia flies from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu in July from £33.74 one way inc taxes.

MASwings has internal Borneo flights in July from around £12 one way inc taxes.

Where to stay
Accommodation in double rooms (for one night, July stays) Hyatt Regency Kinabalu has rooms from around £58.

Sutera Harbour, Kinabalu, has rooms from around £81.

Bunga Raya Resort, Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, has villas from around £300.

Royal Mulu Resort, Mulu, has two-night dinner, B&B packages with cave and kayak tours for a couple from around £217.

Purnama Hotel, Limbang, has rooms from around £37.

Batu Ritung Lodge, Pa Lungan, has rooms from around £16.50.

01/06/2012

NEW STRAITS TIMES – 31 MAY 2012, THURS

Vessel's short cruises a boon

By G. SURACH|PORT KLANG|[email protected]

MARKETABLE: ‘Voyager of the Seas’ is expected to bring in more than 15,000 tourists

The liner will be making five stops in Port Klang.

The stopover is part of the vessel's series of short cruises in Southeast Asia.

At 311m in length, it is one of the largest cruise ship next to the Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2, Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Epic and the Royal Caribbean International's Freedom class and Oasis class cruise ships.

Voyager of the Seas brought close to 3,000 international visitors to PKCC, the cruise gateway for the Klang Valley.

About 70 per cent of these visitors are from America and European countries.

The ship's presence in Southeast Asia has generated plenty of excitement among the regional cruise industry players.

According to Port Klang Cruise Centre Sdn Bhd chief operating officer, Captain Chong Lai Poo, the terminal had received larger ships before but they were single calls on world cruises.

"What is so exciting about the Voyager of the Seas is that she is making five calls to our terminal during its Southeast Asian cruise," said Captain Chong.

"This shows that the country and Southeast Asia is a marketable cruise destination," he said when met during a tour on-board the cruise liner.

He said the liner will bring over 15,000 tourists to our shores.

"Most of the tourists will go on various off-shore excursions that take them to well-established sites in the country such as Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya while more seasoned travellers will find their own way about town, having researched the destination in advance.

"These cruise tourists have great spending power. Even if each visitor spends about US$200 (about RM630) here, they will be bringing into the country some RM1.8 million per call."

Voyager of the Seas is commonly referred to as a "floating hotel" due to the vast range of facilities it offers.

The cruise ship features the world's first rock climbing wall (mounted on the funnel) and ice-skating rink at sea.

Another innovative feature is the Royal Promenade which is a marble floored "street" stretching just over three-quarters of the length of the ship.

There are shops and light dining venues here.

This facility is not available in any other cruise liner.

Benny Mates, 70, who began travelling around the world since 1965, said part of the cruise ship's maiden voyage to Asia has given him a chance to cover many countries in one go.

"My wife, Sharon and I travel a lot, 97 countries so far and to do that we need to plan well, save a lot and be frugal at the same time.

"We commemorate each visit by placing a country flag pin on stainless steel bracelets. We now have four or five bracelets.

"We have been to Kuala Lumpur before, and we love the fact that the country is a melting pot in cultural and ethnic diversity," said the American from Tuscon, Arizona.

01/06/2012

BERNAMA – 31 MAY 2012, tHURS

Malaysia Ranks 2nd In Asean Tourism Competitiveness

BANGKOK, May 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia ranks second after Singapore, in offering the most attractive environment among Asean countries for developing the travel and tourism sector.

According to the Asean Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2012, Malaysia is one of the world's top 10 destinations, with about 25 million visitors annually.

The report was released at the Travel, Trade and Tourism Summit held here today, prior to the World Economic Forum on East Asia.

The report is underpinned by the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) which ranks 139 economies according to their performance in areas that make investment in developing the travel and tourism sector attractive.

Under the TTCI, Malaysia ranked 35, Singapore (10th), Thailand (41st), Brunei (67th), Indonesia (74th), Vietnam (80th), Philippines (94th) and Cambodia (109th).

The rankings are based on data covering 14 areas: policy rules and regulations; environmental sustainability; safety and security; health and hygiene; prioritisation of travel and tourism industry; and air transport infrastructure.

Others are ground transport infrastructure; tourism infrastructure; ICT infrastructure; price competitiveness in the travel and tourism industry; human resources; affinity for travel and tourism industry; natural resources and cultural resources.

The report stressed the critical role of travel and tourism industry in accelerating the establishment of the Asean Community by 2015 and it reviewed the efforts and initiatives by Asean member countries to collectively develop the sector.

"Travel and tourism is not only a critical driver of economic development and social progress. It also represents a formidable factor of regional integration," said World Economic Forum managing director Borge Brende.

He said by improving connectivity and mobility, travel and tourism contributed in creating a regional identity, a sense of "ASEANness among citizens".

"What is good for the travel and tourism sector is good for the economy and vice-versa," explained World Economic Forum economist Thierry Geiger.

The report analysis provides some insight into the profound differences among countries in terms of tourism outcomes.

"Singapore draws 20 times more tourists per capita and 30 times more receipts per capita than the Asean average.

"Malaysia is one of the world's top 10 destinations, with about 25 million visitors annually, while the Philippines, despite being much larger, attracts six times fewer," according to the report.

The report highlighted the enormous potential for developing the travel and tourism sector in Asean.

The region boasts a wealth of natural and cultural heritage, as well as a long tradition of tourism, and it is also strategically located at the heart of Asia.

The extraordinary diversity of Asean countries further enhances the region's attractiveness, apart from Asean as an affordable destination by international standards.

However, the report said, in most countries, the potential had been only partially tapped, owing to a number of weaknesses. They include inadequate infrastructure, poor public health and weak environmental stewardship.

Conservation efforts must protect the region's extraordinary natural heritage which is central to its travel and tourism competitiveness.

01/06/2012

BERNAMA – 31 MAY 2012, tHURS

A Compulsory Stopover For Many Foreign Tourists

THE CALL OF LANGKAWI...Cheap food and lodging, topped
with an array of exotic sites that makes for a fascinating holiday
destination continue to draw visitors to Langkawi.
Pic: Hazlinda HamzahBy Hazlinda Hamzah

LANGKAWI, May 30 (Bernama) -- Langkawi, one of Malaysia's exotic island resorts, still exerts a charm over many foreign tourists, as they make the destination a must visit place during their trips to the country.

Recently at this island, this writer approached Oom Fahd, a mother from Saudi Arabia, who said she would return to Langkawi in July with her husband's family.

Oom Fahd and her husband visited the island for the first time some 18 months ago, on their honeymoon trip.

Places like the Mahsuri mausoleum, Pulau Dayang Bunting, the Cenang and Kok beaches, and Gunung Matchincang are among several locations that attract tourists to Langkawi.

FOREIGNERS

This writer also met a man from Shanghai, China, at the international airport here.

The man, who could only speak a smattering of English, said that he decided to visit Langkawi after hearing other tourists in his homeland describe the resort island as a very enchanting destination.

Mohamad Dudha, a British national and his wife Noerunisa, who is a Malay from Capetown, South Africa, said, "We love (to visit) Malaysia. We like to visit the islands in this country, and as we are both Muslims, it is easy to find halal food.

"Here we are staying at a hotel in Kuah, and have spent nearly RM20,000 to stay in Malaysia for almost one month, along with two of our small children."

Their favourite food while holidaying in Langkawi is tom yam soup.

During their stay on this resort island, the couple have hired a Toyota Avanza vehicle from Toyota Avanza.

"The fees for hiring cars here are reasonable, and many tourists tend to hire vehicles here for easy transportation," he added.

GOOD BUSINESS

The influx of tourists means good business for local entrepreneurs.

Duty-free shops such as the Haji Ismail Group (HIG), Idaman Suri, Coco Valley, and the retail outlets at Langkawi Saga shopping centre and Billion Supermarket are always full of shoppers.

"I like to shop at Haji Ismail Group outlets. Shoppers can buy batik, cutlery and chocolates at cheap rates. This place is located near the ferry jetty, which is convenient for those who use the ferry," said Rosniyah, a teacher from Jitra, Kedah.

Many tour and excursion buses that disgorge hundreds of visitors on a daily basis can be seen parked in front of these shops.

GOOD PRICE

The goods offered for sale here, indeed, are cheaper than the same products being sold in mainland Malaysia.

In fact, this writer discovered that a box of 30 chocolate balls is available for less than RM24 here, when it costs three Dinar at Kuwait International Airport (equivalent to RM39) and about RM44 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

In Kulai, Johor, the price of the same box of chocolate balls is RM36.

The same is true for other chocolate items, and some of the products are sold elsewhere at double their price in Langkawi.

An average-quality batik sarong costs around RM7 here, while a good-quality piece is available for around RM29 at the HIG outlets here. The same piece of batik is usually sold for RM60 elsewhere on the mainland.

ACCOMMODATION

Regarding accommodation on this resort island, the average prices are very competitive and affordable for all tourists, both foreign and local.

There are many price promotions for hotel rooms, which are also available online to facilitate group reservations and early bookings.

For example, a chalet with three bedrooms - which can comfortably accommodate seven adults and is equipped with facilities like a kitchen and microwave oven - is priced at only RM300 per night!

Cheap food and lodging as well as the possibility of visiting fascinating and exotic sites are among the factors that continue to lure visitors to Langkawi.

01/06/2012

NEW STRAITS TIMES – 31 MAY 2012, THURS

Malaysia ranked 14th most competitive country

By RUPA DAMODARAN

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia climbed the global business ladder by two notches, securing a place as the 14th most competitive country in the world. Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea were the only three Asian economies which improved their rankings during the economic turmoil.
This is according to the latest global competitiveness report of the Institute of Management Development (IMD), Switzerland, which rates 59 economies.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said Malaysia registered significant improvements in the Business Efficiency category (sixth position from last year’s 14th) and in the Government Efficiency category (13th from 17th).

Business productivity and efficiency, finance, business legislation and societal framework showed improvements.

Mustapa said Malaysia remained in the top 10 list in the economic performance category, although its position slipped by three places.

This was due to slower employment growth and concerns over rising prices.

“We recognise that there are areas where improvements in our competitiveness can still be made, such as health and the environment, education and scientific infrastructure. Special attention will be given to address these concerns,” he said.

The report was based on a survey of more than 4,200 international executives. In the survey, Malaysia ranked fourth in terms of its attitude towards globalisation and number two, behind Ireland, in terms of its attitude towards the need for economic and social reforms.

21/05/2012

THE STAR – 18 MAY 2012, FRI

Malaysia is in top 10 – again

KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of international tourists have experienced Malaysia’s wonders through Tou­rism Malaysia’s successful Mega Familiarisation (Mega Fam) programme since 2000, said its acting director-general Datuk Azizan Noordin.

He said the programme had helped create higher exposure and awareness of Malaysia in the international arena as a top tourism destination for leisure and business.

He said tourism was the country’s second largest foreign exchange earner, receiving RM58.3bil through 24.7mil tourist arrivals last year.

Malaysia has also been ranked as the ninth most visited country in the world for three consecutive years.

Wear it like this: Philippines delegate Katrina Bianca A.Tamayo showing her fellow participants from New Zealand how to wear a ‘sarong’ during the Mega Fam Programme in conjunction with Colours of 1 Malaysia 2012.

He said a total of 163 participants, comprising travel agents, journalists as well as TV and radio crew from 22 countries, including South Korea, Japan, Iran, China and the United States, were present this year for the 14th Colours of 1Malaysia event.

Azizan said visiting Malaysia was like “visiting several different countries in one go”.

“There are the peaceful islands where you can rent a basic beach-fronting chalet for as little as US$20 (RM62) and enjoy diving and snorkelling activities.

“There are also jungles where you can trek for days into the interior and enjoy being at one with nature. We have some amazing wildlife in Malaysia, including elephants, orang utan and rhinoceros,” he said.

Other local offerings, he said, included the Malaysian homestay programme in the countryside, cave and jungle exploration as well as an international shopping experience at relatively affordable prices.

Azizan also referred to the famous Malaysian hospitality, telling the participants: “I am sure that as you travel within Malaysia for your programme, you too will meet your fair share of open-hearted Malaysians.”

Colours of 1Malaysia will kick off at Dataran Merdeka tomorrow at 5pm and will feature stalls selling local cuisine and a parade themed “The Greatest Tourism Parade”.

The 1.5km long parade will begin from Jalan Raja and will end at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

The month-long event will consist of 11 segments including sports tourism, 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism and Fabulous Food 1Malaysia.

21/05/2012

NEW STRAITS TIMES – 18 MAY 2012, FRI

MM2H sees higher participation

By YVONNE YOONG

The number of participants approved under the MM2H programme saw annual increases during the past decade





The Ministry of Tourism Malaysia is targeting 3,000 approved participants this year in the MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home) programme, up from 2,387 in 2011.

“Looking at the trends from existing and new markets and with promotional efforts by Tourism Malaysia, we are confident that we will be able to achieve this year‘s target of 3,000 approved participants,” said Siti Nani, director of MM2H Centre.

“From the year 2002 until 2011, the programme has managed to successfully attract 17,389 approved participants, whereby in 2011 alone, there were 2,387 approved applicants. The top countries from where the participants came from are China, Bangladesh, United Kingdom, Japan and Iran.”

A reflection of the success of the MM2H programme is in terms of placement of fixed deposit in Malaysian banks since 2002 by approved par- ticipants as well as their daily expenditure which had clearly contributed to the country’s economic activities. “Aside from that, the education and healthcare sector also enjoys spillover effects from this programme when our MM2H participants send their children to schools in Malaysia and use the healthcare services available in Malaysia’s hospitals.”

According to her, the MM2H programme initially started out as the Silver Hair programme targeted at attracting senior citizens for a long stay or to retire in Malaysia using a five-year social visit pass in 1996 under the Department of Immigration Malaysia.
“However, after recognising the programme’s potential, it was later rebranded as the MM2H programme in 2002, whereby foreigners are welcome to apply to join the programme using a 10-year multiple entry social visit pass as long as they fulfill the terms and requirements. This social visit pass is renewable for as long as the approved applicant wishes to remain in Malaysia,” she adds, tracing the origins of the programme.

Later in 2006, the MM2H programme came under the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia with the set-up of the One Stop Centre. In 2009, an Immigration Unit was established under this centre to help facilitate the processing and issuance of the MM2H Social Visit Pass.

According to her, the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia works with other related government agencies, non-government organisations and industry players before implementing any changes to the programme. Feedback is also obtained from Tourism Malaysia Offices overseas to gauge the interest of different markets and what entice them to come to Malaysia. Any changes to the programme are then tabled and presented to the Cabinet Meeting for approval before being implemented by the Ministry.

“Any foreigner is allowed to purchase residential property in Malaysia, where the minimum price per unit for most states is RM500,000 (pending the implementation of the proposed RM1 million minimum purchase price). However, for MM2H participants, the average price range of residential property is RM900,000 with condo- miniums being the preferred choice of residential property purchased,” she adds.

Among the list of reasons why foreigners opt to join the MM2H Programme is Malaysia‘s diversity in terms of culture and its people, the low cost of living, freedom from natural disasters and Malaysia‘s relative stable political environment.

Jaslyn Sim, director of Richmond Consultants (MM2H) Sdn Bhd and principal of Richmond Realty says MM2H is very popular with citizens from Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Iran, United Kingdom, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Playing a role in promoting Malaysia as an ideal place to stay, she says that allowing MM2H programme applicants to receive a 10-year Social Visit Pass and Multiple Entry Visa is an encouraging move by the government.

“This allows them the right to live in Malaysia for 10 years that is renewable, giving them peace of mind and comfort to migrate. Malaysia becomes their second home to purchase properties for their own stay and for investment,” she shares.

“Quality foreigners welcomed”: Sim who is also the Vice President of MM2H Agents Association says that the government welcomes quality foreigners who are “financially capable of residing in Malaysia” for the purpose of stimulating the country’s economy.

Sim adds that the MM2H Programme promoted by the Ministry of Tourism appoints official agents to assist in promoting and helping candi- dates in applying for the programme.

“Each agent is required to recruit a minimum of 10 cases per year, failing which they will be considered as non-active agents and the license will not be renewed.”

Commenting on the rules and regulations that have been changed to “upgrade the requirements and benefits for the applicants” she says that the deposit amount now stands at RM150,000 for those aged above 50 years old while RM300,000 applies for those below the age of 50. In the event that property purchase of more than RM1 milli- on has been fully paid, then only the minimum amount of deposit is required.

The latest amendments also allow foreigners to withdraw part of the deposit for the purchase of car (tax-free), properties, children’s education and medical expenses. Children are eligible to apply as dependants up to age 21 instead of 18.

Sim says foreigners looking to invest in this part of the world are mostly from United Kingdom, China, Iran, Singapore, Hong Kong, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The lure of good location remains intact, with most of them opting for condominiums as well as gated-and-guarded landed properties. Besides being easily accessible and within a short distance of amenities, the demand is for properties with security features. Needless to say, good price appreciation ranks high as well.
“Safety and security is their main concern besides the location and pricing. They prefer to buy completed properties as they feel more secure. However, they are also attracted to purchase new projects launched by well-established developers that come with good incentive packages especially for investments.

“There are demands for high standard, well- planned resort-style ‘retirement homes’ which provide (a sense of) community living,” reflects Sim.

Commenting on the profile of the property owners, she says that most of them are property owners in their own countries.

“Some buy Malaysian properties for investment while others purchase for their own stay with most of them being first time buyers. So far, only about 30 per cent buy properties while most Japanese and Koreans choose to rent properties. Additionally, a lot of westerners only stay over during winter season, so they chose to rent service apartments for short term stay,” shares Sim, adding that most of the property searches are done through websites, referrals, agents and property exhibitions.

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