Reconsider policy towards resident expats
FOR the last 25 years I have been extolling the virtues of Malaysia to the international community as a place to visit and live and invest in. The Expat Group also offers support to expats with employment passes and those with Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) visas after their arrival.
Sadly, this year the authorities’ attitude towards these foreigners who have made Malaysia their home have shown a major change. Despite effective measures being established to control the spread of Covid-19 in Malaysia and prevent people importing it, the resident expat community has consistently been treated in much the same way as casual tourists.
Many were locked out of the country for many weeks when the borders were first closed in March, before they were allowed back. Even then the procedures for them to enter were quite onerous and were changed several times. Our requests for clarification mostly went unanswered.
For most foreigners who live in Malaysia, this is their only home. The MM2H visa holders relocated here because they responded to the government’s invitation to make Malaysia their home. Cumulatively, they have contributed billions of ringgit to the country. Similarly, expats with work permits were approved to live here because the government wanted their company’s investments or felt they could contribute meaningfully to Malaysia’s economic growth.
Now once again all expats with valid visas are being locked out of Malaysia if their home country has many cases of Covid-19. The announcement seems to indicate the decision is based on nationality although it would seem more logical to base it on whether an individual has visited a high-risk country in recent weeks. We cannot see how they pose a risk to Malaysia since they will be quarantined on arrival, at their own expense. It may make sense to ask them to be tested before travel so the risk of them entering the country with Covid-19 is minimised, but it does not seem fair to completely refuse them entry.
We have regularly asked for more information on the reasoning behind these decisions so we can share it with the thousands of expats we reach, but our requests go unanswered. Expats write to us every day with many sad stories about the problems these rules have caused them and their families.
In our humble opinion, we think it would be better to show this group that their presence is valued so they can help restart the economy, which has taken a major hit. We fear these actions could have long-term negative consequence on the Malaysian economy when the country once again seeks foreign investment either from individuals or multinationals.
We respectfully urge the relevant authorities to reconsider its policy towards the resident expat community and consider treating them the same way Malaysians caught overseas are treated.