Allow foreign spouses to work, relieve burden of families, says group

 

The Foreign Spouses Support Group (FSSG) has called on the government to remove restrictions on the employment of foreign spouses who reside in Malaysia.

"We would like to call to attention the severe repercussions of the current prohibitions on employment on foreign spouses married to Malaysian citizens," said FSSG co-founder Bina Ramanand (above) in a statement today.

She said preventing foreign spouses from working limits their income contribution to the wellbeing and stability of their Malaysian family.

This is not in the best interest of the children, she said, adding that this prevents foreign spouses from contributing to the national economy.

"It also severely disadvantages women into situations of precarity. It not only deprives the foreign wife of her economic autonomy but also puts the burden of being the sole breadwinner on the Malaysian wife.

"In households where only one spouse is the sole breadwinner, the financial burden and lack of income will significantly exacerbate the toll on the financial health of every single family member, including the elderly Malaysian parents and children," Bina said.

Currently, she said foreign spouses are allowed to work on the condition they have acquired work approval from the Immigration Department.

However, the Long Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP) or spouse visa for non-citizen spouses comes with a statement "any form of employment is strictly prohibited".

"This proves to be a primary limiting factor with regard to employment, as the foreign spouse is only allowed to obtain an endorsement to work after having secured an offer of employment," she said.

Bina pointed out that Budget 2022 allocated RM4.8 billion to provide 600,000 jobs under the JaminKerja initiative.

However, she said the restrictions on employment for foreign spouses deter potential employers from hiring foreign nationals, despite high skill levels or qualifications.

"Removing the statement of prohibition from employment on the visas of non-citizen spouses and easing the restrictions on their employment will result in multi-dimensional beneficial effects to the post-Covid-19 recovery of the country.

"Allowing foreign spouses to more easily obtain work opportunities will further create a hospitable environment for families to remain in Malaysia, thus reducing the brain drain we are currently facing," she added. - Mkini