S'wak sees rising interest from Japanese nationals under S-MM2H programme, says Abd Karim
Abdul Karim speaks to reporters after launching the Leo Forum 2025. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (June 5): Sarawak is seeing growing interest from Japanese nationals looking to relocate to the state under the Sarawak-Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) programme, said State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
He noted that tourist arrivals from Japan have increased, with several individuals expressing a desire to settle in Sarawak for the long term.
'At present, there are no formal proposals to offer residency similar to what Singapore or Brunei provide.
'However, the S-MM2H programme is open to them, and it continues to attract strong interest, particularly from China,' he told reporters after launching the Leo Forum 2025 at the Raia Hotel and Convention Centre here today.
When asked if the state plans to introduce new initiatives to attract more Japanese nationals, Abdul Karim said no such discussions have taken place yet.
'We've already opened a Trade and Tourism Office in Singapore, one in Brunei Darussalam, and another one is being planned in the city of Pontianak, West Kalimantan.
'The state government also has a proposal, if I'm not mistaken, to open one in Abu Dhabi.
'But if there is a need to open in other cities or countries, we can consider it,' he said.
He said many applicants under the programme are senior citizens drawn by Sarawak's reputation as a safe and peaceful destination with quality medical care.
'Sarawak is seen as a safe place with good medical facilities, which is important for elderly applicants.
'Our strong healthcare system and overall safety are major pull factors,' he added.
Abdul Karim also highlighted that some Korean families have begun enrolling their children in English-language schools such as Tunku Putra, with parents applying under the same programme.
Nearly 600 S-MM2H applications were approved in 2024, and a similar figure is expected for this year, he added. Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah Japanese lead s-mm2h
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
25 minutes ago
- The Star
U.S. companies delay impact reports with DEI, ESG under attack
NEW YORK, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Nike has joined a growing list of companies that includes JPMorgan Chase & Co., Constellation Brands Inc. and Akamai Technologies Inc. that are either canceling or delaying publication of their so-called sustainability or corporate impact reports for shareholders. "While companies aren't legally obliged to disclose such information, most S&P 500 members did so in 2024," noted Bloomberg News about the change on Friday. For more than a decade, this is usually the time period when companies tout the steps they're taking to lower carbon emissions and improve the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) of their businesses, said the report. "Opposition to these reports first surfaced about three years ago when GOP lawmakers and activists began pressing companies to scale back such efforts. And some companies have reacted by taking steps such as scrubbing ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI-related words from public documents," it said. The election of President Donald Trump has further empowered the anti-DEI movement. During his first week in the White House, he signed executive orders ending federal diversity programs and restricting gender definition to two sexes, male and female, it added.
The Star
25 minutes ago
- The Star
Billion-dollar battery plant pauses construction in U.S. amid electric vehicle, tariff uncertainty
NEW YORK, June 6 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese company has halted construction on a 1.6 billion U.S. dollars factory in South Carolina to help make batteries for electric BMWs, citing "policy and market uncertainty," reported The Associated Press on Friday. "While Automotive Energy Supply Corp. (AESC) didn't specify what those problems are, South Carolina's Republican governor said the company is dealing with the potential loss of federal tax breaks for electric vehicle buyers and incentives for EV businesses as well as tariff uncertainties from President Donald Trump's administration," noted the report. "What we're doing is urging caution -- let things play out because all of the these changes are taking place," Governor Henry McMaster said. AESC announced the suspension in construction of its plant in Florence on Thursday. "Due to policy and market uncertainty, we are pausing construction at our South Carolina facility at this time," the company's statement said. AESC promised to restart construction, although it didn't say when, and vowed to meet its commitment to hire 1,600 workers and invest 1.6 billion dollars. The company said it has already invested 1 billion dollars in the Florence plant. The battery maker based in Japan also has facilities in China, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany. In the United States, AESC has a plant in Tennessee and is building one in Kentucky. The statement didn't mention any changes with other plants.
The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Tesla short sellers pocket about $4 billion in profits after Musk-Trump spat
TRADERS raked in $4 billion in profit from their short positions in Tesla shares on Thursday after a public feud between President Donald Trump and CEO Elon Musk led to the stock's biggest single-day drop ever. The gains from betting against the EV maker were the second biggest, data from analytics firm Ortex showed. Traders had pocketed $5.4 billion from a selloff on September 8, 2020, after the firm was looked over for inclusion into the S&P 500 index. The stock closed down 14.3% on Thursday and lost about $150 billion in market value. With short sellers up $7.5 billion on their bet against Tesla, it remains the most profitable trade for the bearish investors among the 'Magnificent 7' stocks this year. Apple stands second at $7.3 billion, according to Ortex.
