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The NGO hailed the home ministry’s swift action taken to address longstanding challenges faced by about 180,000 bi-national families, particularly the abolition of the point-based system for PR applications.
“However, it is crucial that this system is replaced with a transparent, standardised and publicly accessible framework,” it said in a statement to FMT.
Family Frontiers said a non-citizen spouse’s PR eligibility should not be solely dependent on their number of children, as this would be a disadvantage to childless bi-national couples who contribute meaningfully to their families and society.
“Many non-citizen spouses serve as primary caregivers to their Malaysian spouses, and their ability to remain in the country should not be contingent on factors beyond their control, such as infertility or personal family planning choices,” it said.
On Wednesday, the home ministry announced that foreign spouses of citizens will now only have to wait three years before being eligible to apply for PR, down from the earlier five-year requirement.
The points-based assessment system for PR applications, which many applicants had found to be confusing and difficult, was also scrapped.
The ministry said the approval would now be based on factors such as the length of marriage and the number of children the couple have together.
Family Frontiers called for clear SOPs for applications and for the government to introduce an appeal process for rejections.
The NGO also urged the government to provide alternative pathways to PRs for widowed, divorced and abused non-citizen spouses, who risk being forced out of the country despite having Malaysian children.
“The SOPs must be established to provide consistent guidelines on eligibility, documentation, application processes and status tracking, ensuring that all applicants are assessed under a fair and predictable system,” it added.
Automatic cancellation of PR applications
Family Frontiers added that true reform would mean granting non-citizen spouses greater autonomy and stability.
“Until PR is granted, foreign spouses face barriers in obtaining employment in banking, insurance, law, medicine and even acquiring a Malaysian driving licence,” it pointed out.
It also raised concerns over existing policies that allow for the automatic cancellation of PR applications upon the death of a Malaysian spouse or their divorce, leaving widowed and divorced non-citizen spouses in precarious positions.
This would in turn affect their ability to support their Malaysian children, it added.
“Similarly, non-citizen spouses who face domestic abuse and subsequently divorce from their spouse risk losing their residency status, potentially separating them from their children.”
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