Let foreign spouses work in M’sia automatically, says NGO

 

Family Frontiers called on the government to include non-citizen spouses under labour laws, granting access to benefits under the Social Security Organisation and EPF. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Family Frontiers has urged the home ministry to eliminate the clause on long-term social visit passes barring non-citizen spouses of Malaysians from automatically working in the country, leaving many unable to contribute to household incomes.

In a statement today, the NGO called for the elimination of the “prohibited from employment” clause on the pass, thus granting foreign spouses immediate work authorisation upon marriage registration.

Family Frontiers also welcomed home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s recent acknowledgment in Parliament of the need to revisit policies governing the employment rights of foreign spouses in Malaysia.

“This long-overdue review signals a critical step towards addressing the socio-economic challenges faced by binational families,” it said.

Family Frontiers claimed that between 2020 and 2024, only 11.4% of non-citizen wives had applied for work endorsements.

“These policies disproportionately affect women in binational marriages, leaving non-citizen wives financially dependent on their Malaysian spouses.

“This dependency not only undermines their autonomy but also increases their vulnerability to abuse and exploitation,” said the group.

Last Thursday, Saifuddin said foreign spouses with long-term social visit passes are currently permitted to work or operate businesses without an employment visa. However, he said this approval is not granted automatically as applicants must meet specific requirements.

He said a total of 161,531 such passes were issued to foreign spouses last year.

Family Frontiers also called on the government to streamline the endorsement process for non-citizen spouses and include them under labour laws, granting access to benefits under the Social Security Organisation and EPF to ensure workplace security and equity.

It said doing so for all foreign spouses was not only a matter of human rights, but would also allow the nation to “tap an underused pool of skilled labour”.

“(This will) potentially alleviate the brain drain that has seen a significant outflow of educated Malaysians seeking better opportunities abroad,” it said. - FMT