The civil society group said while it supports enforcement against illegal activity, thousands of families rely on Long Term Social Visit Passes (LTSVP) to stay together legally in Malaysia.

The organisation highlighted that in 2025, some 141,381 social visit passes were issued to non-citizen spouses, many of whom face restrictions on employment despite holding tertiary degrees.

“Many non-citizen spouses have endured hardships and to settle here in Malaysia for the long term to support their families, with their Malaysian spouse and children being the main beneficiaries,” it added.

The organisation also called on the government to ensure the task force includes civil society voices, explicitly protects legal residents on spouse-based LTSVPs, and educates employers on the legality of hiring them.

“Any ambiguity from the government could inadvertently create new, informal barriers to their right to earn a living and support their Malaysian families,” Family Frontiers said.

It further urged authorities to remove the employment prohibition from LTSVPs for non-citizen spouses as a long-term, fair measure.

Family Frontiers offered to work with the government to maintain a fair immigration system that differentiates between lawbreakers and integral members of Malaysian families.

The Social Visit Pass issue has been raised following government concerns over rising abuse of these visas, with some foreigners working or conducting business illegally, prompting the formation of a multi‑agency task force to tighten enforcement and protect legal residents. - malaymail