05/02/2026

THURSDAY | FEB 5, 2026

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Ű BY HARITH KAMAL AND FAIZ RUZMAN

RM2.96b for federal roads nationwide

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme does not grant permanent residency or citizenship, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, as more than 700 participants have purchased homes under the programme. ‘Special housing does not grant PR or citizenship’ o Under Malaysia My Second Home, 744 participants have bought homes, with another 2,637 in the process as of end-2025, says minister AT THE DEWAN RAKYAT

FEDERAL road maintenance will receive a major funding boost this year, with the Works Ministry allocating RM2.96 billion nationwide in 2025. The allocation is RM490 million higher than the RM2.48 billion spent in 2024 as the government steps up efforts to keep roads safe and serviceable. Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the ministry, through the Public Works Department (PWD) and its state branches in Sabah and Sarawak, is responsible for maintaining 18,705.93km of federal roads nationwide. This includes 14,973.93km in Peninsular Malaysia, 1,536.95km in Sabah, 2,055.92km in Sarawak and 139.13km in Labuan. “Maintenance is carried out under three main programmes – routine preventive maintenance, periodic corrective maintenance for both pavements and non-pavements, and minor emergency repairs. “Routine maintenance addresses minor damage early to prevent deterioration, while periodic work involves more extensive repairs to road surfaces and underlying structures and emergency repairs are conducted immediately when road safety is at risk, with potholes patched within 24 hours of detection. “Street lighting and traffic light upkeep are also handled by PWD through procurement processes.” Ahmad was responding to a question from Jeli MP Zahari Kechik who sought details on federal road maintenance expenditure by state for 2024 and allocations for 2025. For Peninsular Malaysia, the total allocation for 2025 stands at RM2.36 billion, with Pahang receiving RM428.85 million, Johor RM424.08 million, and Selangor RM247.15 million — the largest shares. Other allocations include Perak (RM336.38 million), Kedah (RM236.26 million), Negeri Sembilan (RM192.84 million), Kelantan (RM173.08 million), Terengganu (RM166.40 million), Malacca (RM61.81 million), Pulau Pinang (RM50.36 million) and Perlis (RM43.41 million). Meanwhile, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan will collectively receive RM595.59 million – Sabah (RM341.74 million), Sarawak (RM213.22 million) and Labuan (RM40.63 million). Addressing concerns over disparities between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, Ahmad said the RM341.7 million allocation for Sabah in 2025 reflects targeted federal support. He added that state and municipal roads are maintained by state governments using allocations from the Malaysian Road Records Information System under the Finance Ministry, while agricultural and rural roads fall under the purview of the ministries of Agriculture, and Rural and Regional Development. “These agencies are critical in ensuring that roads across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak remain safe and well-maintained.” The ministry emphasised its commitment to safe, reliable federal roads, noting that careful planning and prioritising urgent repairs help maintain the network’s quality and cost-effectiveness all year.

Ramli (Dungun-PN), where the Dungun MP sought the latest statistics and total number of homes sold to foreign nationals under the MM2H programme from 2023 to 2025, broken down by their country of origin and the number who have obtained citizenship. Tiong said MM2H participants are issued a long-term social visit pass with a multiple-entry visa, allowing foreign nationals to reside in Malaysia for between five and 20 years depending on category. “For the information of honourable member, the MM2H programme has never involved applications for permanent residency or citizenship,” he said. The programme operates under four tiers – platinum (20 years), gold (15 years), silver (five years) and special economic zone (10 years) – with pass endorsements renewable every five years until the end of each category’s validity period. Tiong said the programme is open to applicants worldwide and not limited to specific nationalities when responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (Tampin-BN). Mohd Isam had asked whether the ministry had plans to reduce reliance on traditional source markets such as China and Taiwan, and to expand promotion to the Middle East. “We open MM2H applications to people from all over the world, not only China and Taiwan. We also allow applicants from Arab countries. “There are people (from the Middle East) buying, but the numbers are not large. We will step up promotions in those countries.” graduates recorded and cumulative student sales reaching RM120 million between 2016 and 2025. Support extended to graduates includes Mara financing, access to business premises, incubation facilities, as well as training and advisory services to help new ventures stabilise and grow. She added that the ministry has been implementing the Start Right Programme (PSR) since 2021 as a catalyst for youths, including TVET graduates, to venture into technical entrepreneurship. Under the programme, participants receive entrepreneurship training, equipment sets and start-up capital of RM20,000, along with guidance and monitoring for 24 months to help them generate sustainable revenue. conceal and it is up to both the federal and Sarawak governments to decide whether details of the deal should be made public. “From the Transport Ministry’s perspective, we have no issue with this. There is nothing to hide because the process has been conducted on a fully transparent basis.” Loke said the federal government has already determined the valuation and payment method for the acquisition, but is still awaiting final confirmation from the Sarawak government as the handover process nears completion.

were read out only for the largest source nations. China topped the list with 304 units, followed by Taiwan (91), Singapore (63), the United States (41), the United Kingdom (40), Hong Kong (34) and Australia (29). Other countries included Bangladesh (19), South Korea (15), Indonesia (14) and Japan (14). Tiong was responding to Wan Hassan Mohd

As of Dec 31, 2025, a total of 744 MM2H participants had purchased residential properties in Malaysia, while another 2,637 participants are still in the process of buying homes, including finalising sale and purchase agreements and identifying suitable locations. Tiong said property purchases under the new MM2H phase involved participants from more than 90 countries, but detailed figures

Tiong said the MM2H programme involves long-term stay, not permanent residency and is open to applicants worldwide. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN Mara considers financing physiotherapy clinics

pay or not, I think the Honourable Member need not worry. The state government is not worried. “I am confident in Sarawak’s financial capability and they have even expressed their intention to pay in a lump sum,” he said during the question-and-answer session yesterday. Loke said Bintulu Port remains a federal port under the regulatory oversight of the Bintulu Port Authority until the Bintulu Port Authority (Dissolution) Act 2024 is fully enforced. “At this stage, the technical committee established and jointly chaired by the federal and state governments is finalising the legal PHYSIOTHERAPY clinics may soon qualify for Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) financing, marking a potential expansion of Putrajaya’s push to grow healthcare-related entrepreneurship, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang said the ministry is assessing the inclusion of physiotherapy under Mara’s professional financing schemes, which currently support medical, dental and pharmaceutical practices. “Mara has special programmes for professional entrepreneurs, including the medical sector, such as UNI Clinics, dental and pharmaceutical sectors, and physiotherapy is a new proposal that can be supported. “This programme also provides sponsorship

aspects to ensure that all obligations of both parties are fully met.” He was responding to a question from Sibu MP Oscar Ling Chai Yew, who sought clarification on the current status of Bintulu Port and the amount to be paid by the Sarawak government. Loke also emphasised that the handover does not involve any private sector participation and is strictly a government-to-government arrangement. He added that the acquisition agreement was carried out transparently, with nothing to or loans for doctors who wish to open clinics in urban and rural areas, as well as for several other professional sectors.” Rubiah was responding to Bakri Jamaluddin (Tangga Batu-PN), who sought clarity on whether the ministry planned to introduce grants or payment mechanisms to help establish physiotherapy clinics in rural areas, particularly to serve vulnerable and B40 communities. She said the ministry is also positioning Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates as part of a feeder pool into professional entrepreneurship, including healthcare-linked businesses. Entrepreneurship, Rubiah said, has been embedded as a core component across TVET institutions under the ministry, with 442

RM1.8b Bintulu Port to be handed over to Sarawak THE federal government has, in principle, agreed to hand over Bintulu Port to the Sarawak government at a valuation of RM1.8 billion, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.

He said the transfer process is now in its final stage and is focused on completing the necessary legal procedures. He said the transaction would not place a financial burden on Sarawak, noting that the state government has the financial capacity to make the payment and that the amount was mutually agreed upon by both parties. “Whether the Sarawak government is able to