All made possible under the Malaysia My Second Home (“MM2H”) program initiated by the Government of Malaysia which will allow foreigners to live in the country on a renewable 10-year visa. Successful applicants are entitled to enter and leave the country on a largely unrestricted basis and also benefit from other incentives aimed at making their stay convenient. The dreams of a ‘second-home’ for many people are no longer going to be restricted by national boundaries or citizenship. One big advantage of the MM2H program is permission for foreigners to buy up to two homes with minimum of bureaucracy – one to live in and one to rent.

A small slice of the Asian Tourism-Pie!
A bulk of Asian economic growth has been propelled by luxury market growth in exotic locales like Bali and Phuket in addition to mega-cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, etc. Tourism has attracted much needed foreign exchange to stimulate the development of industries from hospitality, construction, property development, transportation and retail, numerous spinoff enterprises like currency exchange, restaurants, bars and tour operations. Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand are the “stars” among the Asian tourism destination brands. Malaysia’s relatively low share of the tourism pie as a concern for the Government has found place in a report titled Malaysia: the Impact of Travel and Tourism on Jobs and the Economy (2001), by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism in collaboration with World Travel and Tourism Council. The report points out that “the main problem seems to be one of image. The country has never succeeded – at least until now – in developing a clear product appeal as, for example, Thailand has. It does not have the draw of Bangkok’s nightlife or that of Singapore’s entertainment possibilities. As a result, Malaysia still lags behind other leading competitive destinations in the region, particularly in terms of international tourism receipts”.

Brand Malaysia: Is MM2H the answer?
Recently, Malaysia topped the list of the most popular long-stay destinations overseas in fiscal year 2006, according to the 2007 statistical survey on the long-stay programs unveiled by the Long Stay Foundation, Japan. The MM2H program unveiled in the beginning of this decade is believed to have give Malaysian tourism a much needed boost. Until the first quarter of 2006 the programme is known to have attracted over 8,000 foreign residents. With the encouraging response the Government is taking measures simplify the process and improving the incentives. With the unique emotive value of ‘home’ coupled with natural grandeur and multicultural ethos, Malaysia could well be the new ‘shining brand’ of Asian tourism.

Malaysia’s best-kept-secret- Langkawi
Langkawi has fast grown from a sheepish backwater in the 1980s to a much- sought after tourist destination in the 1990s and then to a hub of luxury development in the last decade. Luxury Villas like the Pandagan Villas are likely to take Malaysian tourism to the next level. Langkawi in all its forms, be it nature, culture or lifestyle is being presented to a much broader global audience which is no longer content with just Armanis, Gucchis and Macs. Even within the simple demand and supply logic, Langkawi’s luxurious Pandangan villas can supply some of the scarcest of all commodities today: clean environment, tranquility, leisure and above all time to oneself. Created by Malaysia’s leading heritage architect, Laurence Loh the 3-bedroom villas priced at around $600,000, the can boast, among others a stunning sea-front view, individual private swimming pools, exciting outdoor activities and a multicultural flavor. With 90% of the population already speaking English and most of them drawing their livelihood from tourism the island is already a part of the global melting pot.

Sustainable Luxury?
‘In harmony with the surrounding’ is the dominant value in all Asian architectural designs. The Pandagan Villas being no exception are constructed using natural materials and special care is taken to ensure minimal affect of the development upon Langkawi’s USPsbeaches, tropical wildlife, paddy fields, rainforest in the world. In fact the National Ecotourism Plan reflects the federal government’s commitment to ensure sustainable tourism development.

For more information:
Malaysia My Second Home: www.mm2h.gov.my
Pandagan Villas Langkawi: Media Solutions LLC
Moscow Tel: +7 (495) 663 2436

Editor's Noted: (7 July 2009) The Pandangan Villas have been renamed the Andaman Villas and the design has been modified, reducing costs. We will cover these villas again in the future. They remain one of the most exclusive villa purchases in Malaysia offedring a suberb degree of privacy, comfort and spaciousness in a wonderful location.