Foreign spouses of Malaysian citizens should be accorded permanent residency status on the date of the registration of the marriage.
It is absurd now, that even for a PR status, many have to wait for at least 5 years or more..
Now, in our Asian culture, marriage is not just between the 2 spouses - but is a union of 2 families. With marriage also comes obligations to the parents and dependants of your spouse.
Now, what happens if the Malaysian spouse suddenly dies - the present system would mean that the foreign spouse, without the PR, will have no choice but to leave the family matrimonial home, abandon the parents and dependents of the other spouse....and leave.
And if there are children of the marriage, who will be Malaysian, ...now the foreign spouse will have to either leave the children behind....or take the Malaysian children with him/her separating them from grandparents and other family members. Remember most persons are not that rich to be able to have regular trips back to Malaysia to keep the ties going...Consider really the effect on the children - the change of living atmosphere, language & culture, friends, etc..
As such, there really must be an immediate review of current policy and practice - the foreign spouse, on the registration of the marriage in Malaysia, should immediately be accorded with Permanent Residency status. [Note that this PR status can be revoked if there is discovered that there was fraud, or some other reason to do that later on ...]
While so many foreign spouses and their partners, families and children have been been going through this trauma of 'what will happen to us if the Malaysian spouse dies suddenly?", I was rather shocked at how the government had been handing out citizenships as a bribe (or shall I say 'incentive') to get Malaysian doctors to come back and serve in Malaysia, and maybe even other persons which we may not know of - this is so DISCRIMINATORY. Citizenships - not just PR status.
It is absurd now, that even for a PR status, many have to wait for at least 5 years or more..
Now, in our Asian culture, marriage is not just between the 2 spouses - but is a union of 2 families. With marriage also comes obligations to the parents and dependants of your spouse.
Now, what happens if the Malaysian spouse suddenly dies - the present system would mean that the foreign spouse, without the PR, will have no choice but to leave the family matrimonial home, abandon the parents and dependents of the other spouse....and leave.
And if there are children of the marriage, who will be Malaysian, ...now the foreign spouse will have to either leave the children behind....or take the Malaysian children with him/her separating them from grandparents and other family members. Remember most persons are not that rich to be able to have regular trips back to Malaysia to keep the ties going...Consider really the effect on the children - the change of living atmosphere, language & culture, friends, etc..
As such, there really must be an immediate review of current policy and practice - the foreign spouse, on the registration of the marriage in Malaysia, should immediately be accorded with Permanent Residency status. [Note that this PR status can be revoked if there is discovered that there was fraud, or some other reason to do that later on ...]
While so many foreign spouses and their partners, families and children have been been going through this trauma of 'what will happen to us if the Malaysian spouse dies suddenly?", I was rather shocked at how the government had been handing out citizenships as a bribe (or shall I say 'incentive') to get Malaysian doctors to come back and serve in Malaysia, and maybe even other persons which we may not know of - this is so DISCRIMINATORY. Citizenships - not just PR status.
MMA president Datuk Dr Khoo Kah Lin said ...."There are already incentives for doctors who want to return from overseas and work in Malaysia. They include tax exemption on personal items, exemption of import and excise duties for two cars, and citizenship for spouses and children within six months of their return." - New Straits Times, 29/7/2008 - Doctors against ministry's proposal
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