KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 700 applications were approved for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme in the first six months of this year.

Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai said applicants from four countries topped the list: Britain, Japan, Bangladesh and South Korea.

He said the ministry targeted about 2,500 applications for this year, adding: “The British like coming here during winter.”

The preferred destinations were Penang and eco-tourism areas, he added.

“Due to the vast number of promotions being carried out, many have got to know the country better. Besides, this is Visit Malaysia 2007.”

On whether more applications were approved because it was the nation’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Lim said when it came to this programme, the ministry had to check and verify the applications properly before approving them.

He said since the programme started in 1996, which was then known as the Silver Hair programme, close to 10,500 applications had been approved.

A total of 8,723 applications have been approved under the MM2H programme that was launched in 2002.

Source: theStar

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