Malaysian Employers Federation president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman.
PETALING JAYA: Foreign spouses are an untapped professional workforce and a friendlier policy to employ them can counter the brain drain harming the nation’s competitiveness, said a bosses’ group.
While welcoming a review of these policies, Malaysian Employers Federation president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said the focus should be on simplifying the Long-Term Social Visit Pass (LTSVP) application process.
“Last year, 161,531 LTSVPs were issued to non-citizen spouses residing in Malaysia.
“Some 75% of the foreign spouses are degree holders, yet nearly 50% of them are not able to get employment.
“The foreign spouses form a large pool of untapped resources at a time when Malaysia is grappling with issues of brain drain.
“They currently face limitations in securing employment due to restrictions in the LTSVP,” he said when contacted.
Syed Hussain suggested loosening some of these restrictions, such as allowing divorced or widowed non-citizen spouses to continue to reside and be legally employed here.
Recently, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the government is mulling a review of its policy on employment of foreign spouses.
Non-governmental organisation Family Frontiers supports such a review as it is an opportunity for this talented workforce to contribute to the nation’s economy.
“Between 2020 and this year, out of the 131,735 non-citizen wives in Malaysia, only 15,019 or about 11.4% applied to the Immigration Department for work authorisation,” it said.
A recent survey by the organisation also found that 75% of foreign spouses have a bachelor’s degree or higher, yet 49% of them are unemployed.
Family Frontiers said this is mainly due to the “prohibited from employment” clause in the LTSVP, which makes companies unwilling to hire them.
“The review must look at reducing red tape while also lifting specific job restrictions on foreign spouses seeking employment.
“Although the Immigration Department claims that spouses can work if they get an offer letter, companies are generally unwilling to hire a non-citizen spouse due to uncertainties they may eventually face,” it added.
Pharmacy, medical, insurance, banking, finance and law are among the sectors that remain inaccessible to non-citizen spouses who want to work.
Ririn Ruby, 46, an Indonesian who married a Malaysian 15 years ago, said she has been unsuccessfully trying to get a job for the past three years.
“My two children have grown up and I decided to work again to help out my family.
“However, most of the employers I approached were reluctant to hire me because they were worried about having to deal with the red tape and immigration authorities,” she said when contacted.
Ririn, from Petaling Jaya, said she had previously worked in property management and at an embassy in Jakarta.
She hoped that the government would review the policy to allow spouses like her to work in Malaysia.
