00:00Employers are reluctant to recruit the foreign spouses of citizens due to excessive red tape,
00:08including uncertainties as to the length of their stay in the country, says the Malaysian
00:12Employers Federation.
00:13MEF President Syed Hussein Syed Husman said the wide discretion given to the immigration
00:19department to issue and renew long-term social visit passes hampers the ability of foreign
00:25spouses to find employment.
00:27He said LTSVPs are normally issued for between one and three years, while their renewal is
00:33entirely at the discretion of the authorities, creating uncertainty for potential employers.
00:39Syed Hussein suggested that the Home Minister simplify the LTSVP procedure for foreigners
00:45legally married to Malaysian citizens.
00:47However, he cautioned against granting foreign spouses an automatic right to work as it may
00:52give rise to misuse and exploitation by certain quarters.
00:56However, William Ng, chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprises Association, disagreed,
01:02saying the risk of abuse was minimal when compared to the benefits such a move could
01:06bring.
01:07He said Malaysia's economic development benefits from an inclusive, all-hands-on-deck approach
01:13that should naturally involve foreign spouses residing in the country.
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