KL revises 'gender-biased' immigration rules<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Foreign husbands of Malaysians will
\nbe granted permanent resident status as part of the government's
\nmove to outlaw sexual discrimination, local media reported on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
"I have received many complaints from Malaysian women who
\nquestioned why they were treated differently from Malaysian men
\nmarried to foreigners," Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was
\nquoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency on Saturday.<\/p>\n
"This is very unfair...therefore I would like to announce that
\nthere are no longer such differences," he said when launching the
\nWomen's Day celebration in the Malaysian capital.<\/p>\n
The directive to make the change has been given to the
\nimmigration department by the powerful Home Ministry, which is
\nheaded by Abdullah.<\/p>\n
Immigration officials could not be reached for comment.<\/p>\n
Bernama also gave no further details.<\/p>\n
Malaysian newspapers reported Malaysian women have often
\ncomplained that immigration officials turned down their spouses
\nrequest by to extend their stay in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
The husbands normally live in the country using social passes
\nwhich need to be renewed every year and take a long time to
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
The New Sunday Times said Minister of Women's Affairs and
\nFamily Development, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, had proposed that
\nforeign husbands of Malaysians be granted permanent resident
\nstatus after three years.<\/p>\n
It also quoted Badawi as saying that laws which discriminate
\nagainst women would also be amended. The paper gave no further
\ndetails.<\/p>\n
Earlier in August, Malaysia's parliament approved a
\nconstitutional amendment to outlaw sexual discrimination, a move
\nwomen's groups say will lead to more equality in the mostly-
\nMuslim Southeast Asian nation.<\/p>\n
The amendment, which was passed unanimously in Parliament,
\nadds the word "sex" to a list that prohibits discrimination on
\ngrounds of religion, race, descent and place of birth.<\/p>\n
The amendment had been pushed by activist groups, who
\nchallenged the new women's affairs ministry to demonstrate that
\nit was more than just a sop to women voters.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, whose government is facing
\nthe toughest opposition yet from a conservative Islamic party,
\nannounced the formation of the ministry in January.<\/p>\n
Officials say that women's support has become crucial after
\nmany Malay Muslims - Malaysia's largest ethnic group - deserted
\nMahathir's United Malays National Organization in a 1999 general
\nelection and voted for a fundamentalist opposition Islamic party.<\/p>\n
The ruling party has since attacked the fundamentalists for
\nplanning to introduce an Islamic state, and tried to broaden its
\nappeal to women fearful of being made subordinate under religion-
\nbased laws.<\/p>\n
The constitution already prohibits discrimination based on
\nrace, religion, ethnicity and nationality.<\/p>\n
Malays and other Muslims make up around two-thirds of the
\ncountry's 23 million people, ethnic Chinese, Indians and tribal
\ngroups the remaining third.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kl-revises-gender-biased-immigration-rules-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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