KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — The Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme has generated an estimated RM12.8 billion for the local economy, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affair Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said today

Most of the contribution came from property transactions and fixed deposits, which amounted to RM10.8 billion. It was followed by purchase of automobiles at RM148 million.

Nazri called the programme a clear success as it has over 33,000 successful applicants from 126 nations.

"We are very proud and we want more [foreigners to make Malaysia their second home],” Nazri said in his keynote address of the MM2H National Workshop and MOU signing between his ministry and the Bank of China here.

Topping the list of applicants are Chinese nationals, followed by Japanese and Bangladeshis; those from the United Kingdom came in fourth.

The number of MM2H applicants have reached up to a million a few years back with the number of applications said to still rising.

But Nazri said while the government is still campaigning to add the number of applicants for the programme, it has no specific target.

"We want quality, not quantity… I’m sure the association too don’t want any Tom, Dick and Harry to join them,” the minister said, referring to the MM2H Agents Association, the organisation that also has expatriates as members.