MINISTRY SETS UP TASK FORCE TO HANDLE APPLICATIONS FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCY

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry has set up a special
task force on entry permit to handle outstanding applications for permanent
residency, the Lower House of Parliament was told Monday.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the cabinet agreed to the task
force in view of the number of outstanding applications, totalling 5,880 at the
ministry and 20,000 at the National Registration Department (NRD)
nationwide.

The entry permit is given to foreigners who have yet to receive their
permanent residency status so that they can stay longer in the country, he said
in reply to Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusoff, an opposition member of
Parliament.

Mohd Yusmadi wanted to know the permanent residency status of foreigners
married to locals.

Syed Hamid said under the "spouse programme", foreigners married to
Malaysians could be issued with multiple entry visas for five years afterwhich
the government could consider giving them a permanent residency.

After 12 years, they could apply for citizenship, he said.

"Under the programme, foreign women married to Malaysian men can be
considered for permanent residency after five years, while foreign men married
to Malaysian women can be considered for the status after 10 years," he said.

Syed Hamid said foreigners who had been issued with entry permits were
eligible for permanent residency and would be issued with identification cards
by the NRD.

Replying to a supplementary question from Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, another
National Front (Barisan Nasional-BN) MP, Syed Hamid said of the 583 appeals for
permanent residency, 152 had been approved until October this year while 87 had
been rejected.

He said the applications for permanent residency could not be speeded up as
the ministry needed to carry out checks on related information before making any
decision.

-- BERNAMA