KUALA LUMPUR (March 6): The government will introduce a special pass for foreign investors starting this April, allowing them to stay longer in the country to facilitate their investment-related matters.  

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday that the issuance process will be conducted electronically through an electronic pass system.  

“We will introduce a new pass exclusively for investors to facilitate their entry into Malaysia. Our focus is to ensure ease of doing business,” Saifuddin said during the minister’s question time.  

“The faster we process their applications and simplify procedures, the more positive their perception of our business climate will be. We will commence issuance on April 1, allowing investors to stay longer to finalise their investment affairs,” he added.  

Saifuddin was responding to a supplementary question from Lee Chean Chung (PH-Petaling Jaya), who inquired about the Immigration Department’s readiness to streamline procedures and reduce investors’ reliance on agents when obtaining relevant passes for their due diligence before making investment decisions.  

“We have already established an impromptu facility there (Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1). Investors can have their applications processed upon arrival in a very short time,” the minister said, referring to the Expatriate Services Centre (ESC) system. 

The ESC is operated by the Immigration Department in collaboration with Talent Corporation, which is responsible for issuing various types of passes to expatriates, professionals, and their dependents.

These passes allow them to reside and work in Malaysia, with significantly reduced approval times compared to the previous 30-day processing period.  

“We do not recognise the role of agents in this process, as only authorised company representatives are permitted to deal directly with the Immigration Department for  expatriate or investor passes,” he said.

Earlier, Saifuddin also addressed the management of entry permits for spouses of Malaysian citizens, noting that 11,700 pending applications are currently being processed by the Immigration Department.  

“Our commitment is to clear all 11,700 applications by June this year. This is part of the Home Ministry’s ongoing efforts to improve service delivery for the people,” he said.  

On Monday (March 3), Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said enhancements to the entry permit application process for obtaining permanent resident status (MYPR), particularly for spouses of Malaysian citizens, will take effect from Sept 1.  

He said that under the revised process, foreign spouses of Malaysian citizens must be married for at least three years and hold a long-term social visit pass for one year, before becoming eligible to apply for an entry permit.