The Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) has issued a reminder to foreign workers in Malaysia, stressing that they face deportation should they marry a local while being a temporary foreign worker permit (PLKS) holder in our country.
According to a post on its official Facebook page, the department clarified that this is because marrying a local is against the terms set out in the PLKS, making the permit automatically cancelled.
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Accordingly, the PLKS holder will also be deported from Malaysia as per the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155).
In the post, JIM also advised locals, especially women to know the risks of marrying a foreign worker who’s a PLKS holder, whereby if they still insist on tying the knot, they would end up being left behind by their deported spouses.
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As for the status of these marriages, JIM clarified that they depend on whether the couple are Muslim or non-Muslim.
If they’re a Muslim couple and fulfilled all the requirements under Islamic laws, their marriage is considered valid, though the PLKS holder spouse would still be deported, which would complicate the process for divorce applications in Syariah Court.
As for non-Muslim unions, the High Court has the power to dissolve and deregister the civil marriage.
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With all of that in mind, do note that this doesn’t mean that foreign workers and Malaysians are forbidden from marrying each other.
Instead, the procedure is a bit more complicated and the foreign worker must first consult with their respective country’s embassies. It would also require approval from immigration.
Speaking of which, JIM is currently conducting engagement sessions with relevant parties to make the procedures for marriages between foreign workers and locals more uniform.
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So, what do you guys think of the sharing by JIM? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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