Bangkok--20 Apr--eturbonews
The Malaysian government has acknowledged the practice of foreigners "renting" husbands or wives for a stay in the country and in order to get involved in illegal activities, including prostitution and illegal employment.
The move comes after the Malaysian Home Ministry found out that many foreign workers and foreign women marry local people in order to apply for Malaysian visas.
Deputy Home Affairs Minister Tan Chai Ho said most of the couples were "young wives with old husbands" or "old wives with young husbands."
Tan said the government believed illegal groups tried to bring in the foreign women for illegal activities. "Illegal groups use the loophole in law to work here illegally through fake marriage," he reportedly said. "They pay the rents to their `nominal spouses' when they get the visa. They involve in illegal activities in this renting tactic."
As per the information available, normally, the government will approve one-year visas to foreign spouses and the visas need to renewed every year.