KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — The absence of a Letter of Good Conduct (LOGC) requirement to verify that the dependants of participants of the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme are free from criminal misconduct, poses a risk to national security.
According to the Auditor General's Report 2019 Series 2, MM2H programme management was also found to be inefficient and ineffective with the absence of an integrated database and weaknesses in the internal controls of the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs).
“The audit further found that no LOGC was attached for 107 dependants of 59 participants as the rules did not stipulate that the letter had to be submitted and that no other method was used to verify the dependants were free from criminal misconduct in the country of origin,” according to the report.
Unclear rules or procedures made it difficult for the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (MOTAC) and the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) to effectively monitor and evaluate the achievement of the programme.
"Besides that, the minimum offshore income of RM10,000 per month has never been reviewed since the MM2H programme was started in 2002. The inconsistent recognition of the health status of MM2H programme applicants invites the risk of spreading dangerous infectious diseases.
"Participants' children enjoy eligibility as dependants even though they are over 21 years old due to unbalanced rules," the report said.
However, in general, MM2H participation from 2015 to September 2019 had shown good achievement with a total of 21,292 people participated in the programme compared to the set target of 17,500.
Coordination between MOTAC and relevant ministries or agencies needs to be enhanced by establishing an integrated system to improve the effectiveness of the implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
The report said MOTAC, JIM and the MM2H Steering Committee need to review and revise the circular or guidelines of the MM2H programme to be more uniform, clear and comprehensive.
Apart from that, a study should also be conducted on health screening procedures to be in line with the standards set by JIM and the Ministry of Health.
In addition, the report also recommended the use of digital smart cards to record information on participants’ property purchases, residential and employment for more effective monitoring purposes.
— Bernama
