[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia continues to remain an attractive option for foreigners looking at a residency visa scheme, but the prolonged standstill in approvals for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme is wearing their patience thin and could hurt interest.

Industry players told The Business Times that Malaysia’s recently refreshed criteria with more attractive conditions under the visa programme have yet to have an impact as all new applications are on hold, pending parliament’s green light.

MM2H Consultants Association president Anthony Liew said only applications to renew the existing MM2H visa are being processed for the time being, while the approval process for new applications are halted until further notice.