Call for deadline extension
Foreigners want more time to apply for special permit
PETALING JAYA: The deadline given for foreigners to extend their social visit passes is too short, lament industry players.
Liaising with the embassies for a supporting letter to aid their applications for an extension may take time due to the movement control order, they said.
And if they fail in getting an extension, booking a flight will be another challenge, they added.
Foreigners stranded in Malaysia were given until yesterday to apply for an extension if their social visit passes expired on or after Jan 1, 2020.
Malaysian My Second Home (MM2H) Consultants Association president Anthony Liew said some of its member companies, which help foreigners with social visit passes, had voiced out that the deadline was too rushed.
“Many foreigners were caught off-guard and have been scrambling to apply for an extension or arrange for a way to return to their home countries but many are still stranded here.
“The government should be lenient and give more time for the affected foreigners to sort out their situation,” he said.
Those who wish to extend, said Liew, could only do so with a supporting letter from their respective embassies.
“The letter is important because it will state clearly the situation the applicant is facing and what is needed moving forward.
“Without it, the authorities wouldn’t know the applicant’s situation in Malaysia and won’t be able to give an extension,” he said.
Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud reiterated that “those who need to extend must get a supporting letter from their embassies”.
On April 12, he had announced that those who faced difficulty in returning to their home country because of travel restrictions may request for a special pass to extend their stay but their applications must be supported by a letter from their respective embassies.
Foreigners must also include documentation to prove they are financially secure and include their residential address.
He added that the department understands that foreigners would face difficulty returning to their own countries because of the lack of flights.
However, the department had discovered several foreigners abusing their social passes by working in entertainment outlets and massage centres that were involved in prostitution, scams and other illegal activities.
Liew doesn’t deny the existence of “rotten apples” but said such concerns did not apply to all, especially expatriates and professionals who could afford to stay here.
“That is why it is important for those who want to extend their stay to get a supporting letter from their embassies because their home country knows them better,” he said.
He said some foreigners who could not get a supporting letter from their embassies are attempting to obtain other permits, including for work or study.
“Some cases involve foreigners who arrived in Malaysia on social visit passes ahead of their MM2H approval.
“It is unfortunate as the government has stopped giving approvals since October 2019 and the Covid19 pandemic has made everything come to a standstill,” he said, adding that there are over 5,000 backlogs for MM2H applications.
Liew called on the government to resume the MM2H programme due to its positive impact on the economy as applicants have to deposit between RM150,000 and RM300,000 into a Malaysian bank while rening or buying a property here.
Iraqi student Khaleel Ismet, 27, whose student visa expired in January, said he is worried about being arrested.
“I am continuing my PhD studies here and still searching for a suitable university.
“I hope I can stay and not be fined or blacklisted until I’m enrolled in a university later,” he said, adding that he would also seek help from the higher learning institution once he has made up his mind.
A retiree from Singapore who only wanted to be known as Lee, whose social visit pass expired late last year, said he was shocked upon hearing the announcement, which meant he was supposed to have left Penang yesterday.
“The notice was too short. I decided to stay on while waiting for my slot with the Immigration Department next week to renew my permit.
“I have all the documents. Hopefully, everything will be all right,” said the 60-year-old.