Simplify visa applications for non-citizen domestic abuse survivors, says NGO

Free Malaysia Today

11-05-2025

A check on the immigration department's website lists 'isteri teraniaya kepada warganegara (abused wives of citizens)' as among those who can apply for a long-term social visit pass or an extension thereof. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : The government must simplify the visa application process for non-citizen survivors of domestic abuse, says Family Frontiers.
In a statement released today in conjunction with Mother's Day, the NGO said the long-term social visit pass (LTSVP) typically held by non-Malaysian wives is entirely dependent on the husband's sponsorship.
'When that relationship ends – through divorce or death – the status and stay of these women become precarious.
'Their only alternatives are short-term visas available to non-citizen mothers raising Malaysian children – such as the widow visa, divorcee visa, or one granted to abused spouses,' it said.
A check on the immigration department's website lists 'isteri teraniaya kepada warganegara (abused wives of citizens)' as among those who can apply for a LTSVP or an extension thereof.
However, the documents required include a statutory declaration that the husband cannot be found, a local sponsor's letter of undertaking, the sponsor's identification card and proof of income (RM2,000 and above) and a copy of a police/hospital report as evidence of abuse.
'These visas come with strict and often punishing conditions; (the requirement for a Malaysian sponsor) can leave women dependent on another man or external party, reinforcing their vulnerability,' it said.
Family Frontiers said most of these visas do not permit the right to work, depriving non-citizen mothers of financial independence and the ability to provide for their Malaysian children.
It called for the government to remove employment restrictions to empower survivors of domestic violence, to ensure they can rebuild their lives while supporting their Malaysian children.
The NGO pointed out that widowed or divorced husbands of Malaysian women – many of whom have Malaysian children – are also denied the right to stay and co-parent their children.
'The law makes no exception for their role as fathers. Instead, they are often given an absurd and deeply insensitive suggestion: marry another Malaysian to secure a visa or obtain an exorbitant work permit or leave the country,' it said.
Family Frontiers called for visa renewals to proceed independently without the need for a Malaysian spouse's presence or consent after five years of marriage.
'This measure protects non-citizen spouses from coercion and abuse, providing them with greater autonomy and stability.
'The current pathways to permanent residency and citizenship are limited to individuals who remain in an active marriage with a Malaysian citizen.
'These pathways should also be made accessible to widows and divorced visa holders who, through no fault of their own, were unable to apply for PR or had to endure prolonged PR processing periods that remained unresolved until the death of their spouse,' it said.
In November last year, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the government may revisit its policies to allow foreign spouses to seek employment in the country, citing economic demands and a need to reduce the nation's reliance on migrant workers.
Family Frontiers then urged the ministry to eliminate a clause in the LTSVP which prohibits a foreign spouse from seeking employment, saying they ought to be entitled to work immediately upon the registration of their marriage to a Malaysian citizen.
It explained that the right to work was a basic human right, and the move to allow foreign workers to work here would allow the nation to 'tap into an underused pool of skilled labour'.