‘Allow employment of foreign spouses’

KUALA LUMPUR: The Foreign Spouse Support Group (FSSG) has urged the government to lift the ban on employment of foreigners married to locals.

Its founder, Bina Ramanand, said the ban is stated on a spouse’s “Long-term Social Visit Pass” with the words “Any form of employment is strictly prohibited”.

Bina said the pass, also called a “spouse visa”, is issued by the Immigration Department for between three months and five years.

She added the pass is given to the spouse only after six months.

“He or she would need to do a ‘visa run’ in between until the pass is given,” she said.

“We urge the government to remove the condition, and allow foreign spouses to work upon marriage to a Malaysian. This must be clear. We are not expatriates,” she said after attending a session held by an independent committee which coordinates policies and management of foreign workers.

She has also submitted recommendations to the committee, including the abolition of the need for a letter of permission from the Malaysian spouse, and automatic permanent resident status for non-citizen spouses regardless of race, religion or nationality within three years’ stay in Malaysia.

She added that annually, about 100,000 marriages take place between Malaysians and non-citizens, who form a large pool of unrecognised “latent workforce”.

“Although professional and skilled, these spouses are not being treated favourably,” she added. – by Elly Fazaniza