I AM writing to express my genuine concern regarding the decision not to allow people with the Malaysia My Second Home visa into the country. This seems very unfair to people who have made Malaysia their home and place of permanent residence.

I have been closely involved with the programme since it started and have sat in many government meetings to give input, and like to think I have contributed to its success.

There are basically two broad categories of people who take the visa. Those that want to come and live here and those that have no intention of relocating here but usually visit occasionally.

It stands to reason that the ones that choose to live here are the most attractive for Malaysia.

They usually buy a house here, as well as a car and other capital items.

In addition, their average spend, according to our research, is around RM10,000 per month or RM120,000 a year.

It is easy to see how a few thousand people with the visa can contribute billions of ringgit a year to the Malaysian economy, a most welcome contribution, even more so at times like this.

In research we did last year, just over 60% of the MM2H responders who live here said they planned to spend the rest of their lives in Malaysia. In other words, they have made it their permanent home.

There are many reasons to like Malaysia, but one is the many countries which you can visit while based here and resident MM2Hers who are usually retired and over 60 like to travel.

At the time the movement control order (MCO) was imposed, some were travelling overseas but never thought they would be denied access to their homes but that is what has happened.

Now, they are stuck in foreign countries incurring a lot of extra, unexpected expenses and denied access to their homes.

I have received emails from a number of them asking if I can help but so far my efforts have been unsuccessful as no one seems to care about them.

Apart from the humanitarian factor of denying senior citizens access to their homes, I think it also sends a very negative message to the international community about the programme and how Malaysia treats people who they have invited to come and live in their country.

I sincerely hope someone reading your good newspaper will be able to do something to help those MM2Hers who have a home in Malaysia return to them.

Of course, they are willing to go into self-isolation and be tested for the virus.

Andy Davison

Chief Executive Officer

TEG Media

(Source: The Star online，26th March 2020)