Chinese wives allege discrimination by Immigration Department

Chinese women who have settled down in Malaysia with their Malaysian spouses face a host of problems, chief among them the difficulty in applying for permanent resident status.

Accoording to reports in the Chinese press yesterday, 10 of them voiced what they claimed was unfair treatment by the Immigration Department at a press conference called by Federal Territory MCA Public Service and Complaint Bireau Chief Dr Jeffrey Goh Sim Ik in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
Despite having stayed here for more than 5 years, these Chinese spouses are unable to get permanent residents status, and hence are denied the opportunity to work.
They calimed they had problems even getting the application forms from the les-than-friendly officers at the deparment.
When the immigration offcers learn that we are Chinese nationals, they refuse to sell us the application form, lelling us that there are no rules that say Chinese nationals can apply for permanent resident status. Those who managed to get the form and submitted their applications do not get any reply from the department" some of the Chinese spouses said.
Meanwhile, Immigration director-general Datuk Wahid Md Don denied the department has been rejecting PR application by Chinese wives.
He also said there are no rules to bar any national from applying to become a permanent resident in Malaysia.