KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has broken his silence and shared his side of the story on the controversy surrounding the implementation of Sabah's Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.
In a nine-paragraph long posting on his Facebook account yesterday, Tiong also hit out Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew when he accused the latter of being absent from meetings held to discuss the MM2H programme for the state.
"I must clarify that despite several invitations, the Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment has not deemed it worthy of her to turn up for meetings to discuss the MM2H matter for Sabah," wrote Tiong.
He also claimed that Liew "very rarely" attended meetings held by his ministry but freely criticized the MM2H policies.
"Not only did the minister not attend these meetings, but she also did not even delegate a single representative to the table to understand the situation. This is disappointing, to say the least.
"Liew criticizes the policies of the MM2H, yet refuses to attend meetings personally to understand the details of the program related to agent registration.
"If she does not fully understand this policy issue of MM2H, she has failed to take the necessary steps to fully grasp its entire policy."
Tiong also claimed that he had met with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and discussed tourism safety issues within the state, which have yet to be resolved by Liew to date.
He added that he has repeatedly explained in Cabinet that existing agents of MM2H must re-register themselves to address the prevailing problems of agents subleasing their permits or disappearing with collected agency fees.
"I must stress that the renewal of MM2H visas is unrelated to MM2H agent permits. However, we want MM2H agents to strictly adhere to transparency, including only collecting fees for applications once they are successfully approved.
"The MM2H agent permits in Malaysia must be reapplied with Motac (his ministry) after the latest regulations are released (or gazetted).
"Motac will not recognise existing agents. All expired permits must be reapplied for and undergo strict background checks. Renewal of permits is only approved for those who qualify under the new regulations."
Tiong later urged Liew to meet with Motac to fully understand the situation and review issues that could lead to abuses of power.
"It is not about whether Sabah is allowed to appoint its own agents, but she should understand the issues, be clear about our constitution, and not mislead the people. Will Liew personally account for the repercussions of the MM2H programme?"
It was reported that the Sabah-MM2H programme that was supposed to be launched by June 1 has been postponed. Liew said she was suprised to learn that Motac has suspended the operations of all licensed agents in processing new applications, with immediate effect.