Chinese buyers top the list in Malaysia’s MM2H golden visa scheme

Chinese nationals accounted for the largest share of property buyers under Malaysia’s revamped “My Second Home” (MM2H) programme, the country’s tourism minister said on Wednesday, while cautioning against politicising the issue. Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing told parliament that 744 MM2H participants bought homes in Malaysia between 2023 and 2025, with another 2,637 still negotiating purchases. As of December 31, 304 purchases had been made by buyers from mainland China, Tiong was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper, followed by Taiwanese buyers with 91 purchases and Singaporeans with 63. Buyers from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (34) together made up nearly 60 per cent of total MM2H-linked property acquisitions, he said. Other major source countries included the United States (41), the United Kingdom (40), Australia (29), Bangladesh (19), South Korea (15), and Indonesia and Japan (both 14). Tiong stressed, however, that Malaysia’s residency-by-investment initiative remained open to applicants worldwide. “Don’t politicise this,” he said, according to the New Straits Times newspaper. “Applicants from Arab countries are also accepted, and some have made purchases, although the numbers are not large … We will further intensify promotional efforts.” Residency status Tiong, who was responding to a query from MP Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli, clarified that MM2H granted neither citizenship nor permanent residency, but did offer renewable long-term social visit passes lasting five to 20 years depending on category, with each pass valid for “five years per cycle”. “Participants may renew it until the full duration of their respective category expires,” he said. Tiong previously defended the MM2H programme after former information minister Rais Yatim alleged on social media that 22,000 Chinese nationals had been effectively made permanent residents through the scheme. He denounced such claims as “misleading” and accused critics of fuelling racial tension. “This programme is designed to generate economic benefits for the country,” Tiong said, as quoted by the Malay Mail. In a multiracial country like Malaysia, misleading narratives like this can provoke racial tension and division Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing “In a multiracial country like Malaysia, misleading narratives like this can provoke racial tension and division, potentially leading to serious consequences such as racial disputes or social conflicts.” First launched in 2002, MM2H was overhauled in mid-2024 after its popularity slumped post-pandemic. The revamped version introduced four tiers – Silver, Gold, Platinum and Special Economic Zone/Special Financial Zone – offering five- to 20-year stays tied to varying deposit and investment requirements. As of June 2025, MM2H had generated roughly 840 million ringgit (US$213 million) from fixed deposits, real estate purchases and fees, representing an 84 per cent increase from the previous December, Free Malaysia Today reported. Consultants, speaking to industry newspaper Investment Migration Insider, attributed the rebound to relaxed entry conditions – including reduced fixed deposit thresholds and the removal of income proof requirements – which made the scheme more accessible to middle- and upper-middle-income applicants. By mid-November 2025, the updated programme had drawn 13,567 applications, bringing the total since its inception to nearly 60,000, according to Singapore’s The Business Times. The entry-level Silver tier has proven the most popular, representing more than 80 per cent of all applicants. It requires a fixed deposit of US$150,000, or equivalent, and a home purchase valued at a minimum of either 600,000 ringgit or 1 million ringgit, depending on the state. Preferred destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor and Melaka. In the Malaysian capital, MM2H homeowners tend to cluster around prime districts such as Bukit Bintang and Ampang – districts close to embassies and international schools – as well as lifestyle developments like Desa ParkCity, property agent Matt Tian told The Business Times, adding: “Mont Kiara is still popular with Koreans, Japanese and Westerners.”

Chinese buyers top the list in Malaysia’s MM2H golden visa scheme

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}While Chinese nationals lead the pack, Malaysia’s tourism minister also cites interest from the US, UK, Australia and Bangladesh

While Chinese nationals lead the pack, Malaysia’s tourism minister also cites interest from the US, UK, Australia and Bangladesh