Agent: Iranians need more info on MM2H

PETALING JAYA: Iranian Seyed Hadi Miryazdi, a Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) agent, loves the weather and food here.

However, he said the lower exchange rate of the Iranian dinar to the ringgit has deterred his compatriots from coming here under the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. “I like how Malaysians are laid back and calm. “I only wish there was a manual on Malaysian culture to prepare us better on living here,” he said.

Fewer Iranians, he said, were also choosing Malaysia to be their second home under the programme due to advertising by unscrupulous agents. “Advertising needs to have a measure of truth. Behind the big city and shopping malls, agents need to tell what it is like to live here,” said Seyed, 33.

He was commenting on the fact that Iranians, who used to top the list of applicants for the MM2H programme, are now in fourth place after the Japanese, Chinese and Bangladeshis. “Many Iranians want to go overseas but they do not know English, so they ask other Iranians. “When they hear about the difficulties, some of them cancel their applications,” said Seyed, who has been living here for five years.

He said agents should work directly with the Tourism Ministry to make sure important information was relayed to applicants so they would know what to expect here. “Moving to Malaysia can be expensive. If they are not ready, it will be difficult,” added Seyed.

As of March, 18,090 foreigners have successfully applied to participate in MM2H since the programme was launched in 2002.

-thestar online.