There are apparently about 100,000 foreign spouses in Malaysia, and sadly most of them still do not have a 'permanent resident status'. Between 2001 - 2008, only 8,622 were issued with entry permit, which means that they have permanent resident status, and another 3,524 were awarded citizenship.
Foreign spouses must be given entry permits, i.e. permanent resident status upon registration of the marriage in Malaysia. [See also earlier post: PR status to foreigners who marry Malaysians upon registration of marriage in Malaysia - Best Solution]
Now, presently for the 1st 5 years, foreign spouses are given 6-month or 1-year social visit passes, and later on 3-year social visit passes - but the problem is that application need to be done by the Malaysian spouse. Problem arises when there is a sudden death of the Malaysian spouse, which means that the foreign spouse will be forced to leave the country abandoning behind children, dependents of the marriage (i.e. elderly parents of the Malaysian spouse, matrimonial property, inherited property, etc - and this is so wrong. Even in the event of a divorce, the inability of the foreign spouse, usually women, to remain in Malaysia possibly with the children, in the matrimonial home/property is also wrong. There really must be a policy that parent of Malaysian children should be automatically given an entry permit - a permanent resident status.
Now, with regard to those who have got their entry permit...and citizenship, one needs to check and see when they were given this. Why did some get it so fast? Why did some get full citizenship, whilst others got only entry permits (PR status)..and why did the majority still have not even been given permanent residence status? Was there any discrimination? Was there discrimination based on religion? Was there discrimination based on the country of origin of the foreign spouse? Was there discrimination based on the political party the Malaysian spouse belonged to? Was there discrimination based on the socio-economic status of the Malaysian spouse? Was there discrimination based on the religion/ethnicity of the Malaysian spouse?
It is estimated that there are at least 100,000 foreign spouses in the country today. However, according to the Home Ministry, from 2001 to 2008, only 8,622 entry permits were issued to foreign spouses of Malaysians.
The largest groups of applicants were from Thailand (2,439), Indonesia (1,955), India (1,785), Singapore (864) and the Philippines (578). Vietnamese applicants were included in the “Others” category, which added up to 1,019.
Many are unaccounted for or in the process of applying for Permanent Residence status or Citizenship.
A total of 3,524 were awarded citizenship in the same period mentioned, out of which 253 were in the “Others” category but it is unspecified how many were Vietnamese. - Star, 25/7/2010, From Vietnam with love
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