Selling off Malaysia’s assets?


Selling off Malaysia’s assets?

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz revealed in Parliament that the Malaysia My Second Home (MMH2) programme netted RM2.9 billion in revenue for the country last year (2016).

Now, who still claims that selling properties in Malaysia is akin to selling off the country’s assets?

“Not only has MMH2 brought revenue for the rakyat dan negara (people and country), it has also raised Malaysia as a top international pick by foreigners as their choice second home,” Gerakan Deputy Speaker Syed Abdul Razak Alsagoff said.

He said since MMH2’s inception in 2002 until November last year, 31,723 applications from 126 countries were approved under the programme.

“It is baseless to accuse the federal government of selling off Malaysia’s assets via the property industry. It is controlled and it brings much needed income for Malaysia.

“There is absolutely no threat from the foreigners who come here to stay. They have no say or right in Malaysia’s administration.

“It is Malaysians who are in control of the country’s administration by electing their government of the day every five years,” he added.


Syed Razak, who is Gerakan’s nominee to contest N.37 Bukit Lanjan in the coming 14th General Election (GE14), said the MMH2 was also helping to promote Malaysia as a livable and harmonious country.

“It also naturally promotes Malaysia as a choice destination for tourists and foreign investors. Those who come and stay here have relatives and friends in their home country.

“If Malaysia is not a peaceful and harmonious country, would they (foreigners) want to come and stay here?” he asked.

Syed Razak said Malaysians should refrain from condemning the sale of properties to foreigners as akin to selling off the country’s assets.

“It’s akin to sabotaging Malaysia’s economy and future. By all means be constructive in criticisms.

“Don’t criticise for the sake of criticising. Don’t criticise just to score political points,” he added.


Here’s The Star Online report from Parliament:

"Nation

Home > News > Nation

Thursday, 23 March 2017

My Second Home scheme brought in RM3bil last year

BY MARTIN CARVALHOHEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAMRAHIMY RAHIM, andAKIL YUNUS

THE Malaysia My Second Home (MMH2) programme contributed about RM2.9bil to the national economy last year, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the amount included the collection of visa fees worth RM6.85mil, opening of permanent bank savings accounts in the country worth RM542.55mil and property purchases worth RM673.96mil.

However, he pointed out that the estimate did not include the average household spending based on the children’s education and other additional cost such as the purchase of CBU vehicles.

“The MMH2 programme has pushed up Malaysia’s name at the international level.

“Based on a report from International-Living.com, it shows Malaysia is ranked number six in the world for the best place to retire,” he told Anthony Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Seremban) during question time.

Loke had asked the ministry to state the benefits of the MMH2 programme to the country and the la test figures of those registered under the programme.

Nazri said an annual research conducted by Japan Longstay Foun dation indicated that Malaysia was the top pick for long-term stay among Japanese nationals aged above 40 since 2006.

“Since its inception in 2002 until November last year, 31,723 applications from 126 countries were approved under the programme.

“China forms the biggest number consisting of 7,976 approved applications, followed by Japan (4,127), Bangladesh (3,399), the United King dom (2,361), Iran (1,331), Singapore (1,258), Taiwan (1,175), South Korea (1,174), Pakistan (958), India (861), and other nationals (7,103),” said Nazri.

Asked whether the ministry was willing to ease some regulations to attract more people to invest under the programme in Labuan, Nazri said the ministry could not simply ease the rules to ensure that Malaysia remains as “premium market”.

“We can cooperate in terms of finding housing developers who wanted to invest on projects worth more than RM1mil in Labuan.

“It will make it more attractive to the markets from north-east Asia such as China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan,” he said."

N.37 LET BUKIT LANJAN SOAR WITH SYED ABDUL RAZAK ALSAGOFF

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

21st Century digital world’s growing number of ‘couch potatoes’ in Malaysia

Malaysian children are going hungry? They are worse off than Ghanaians?

吴正飞御用大律师 – 另一个大马出生的成功故事 (QC Ng - another Malaysian-born success story to emulate)