Seven days to process expat pass

Saturday October 27, 2007

PUTRAJAYA: Seven days to get an answer to an application for an expatriate’s pass or you can call Pemudah directly to complain.

That is the promise of Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, Chief Secretary to the Government and co-chair of Pemudah, the task force set up to untangle red tape and help smoothen the public delivery.

Previously, Mohd Sidek said it could take up to a few months to process the application for an expatriate’s pass and that sometimes, the procedures could be very confusing to the public.

“Explanations on the procedures for obtaining such passes were all over the place as the approving agency differs from one sector to the next.

“For instance, expatriates working in the financial sector will be under the purview of Bank Negara and those in the manufacturing industry will be under that of the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority.

“This guidebook will give a flow chart explanation to help industry players and managers navigate their way through the various steps involved.

“It is written in simple language and lists down all the agencies involved,” he told reporters after launching the book at the Prime Minister’s Office here yesterday.

Mohd Sidek said that with the guidebook, procedures could be made so simple that industry players need not resort to a third party or runners to put up their application forms.

“This book will not only benefit foreign investors but our local industries who wish to bring in expertise from overseas. This is expected to bring a lot of positive impact on our economy.

“The Government is serious in improving the ease of doing business,” he said.

The guidebook also explains how to bring over their spouses and children, and contains comprehensive details on procedures, criteria and the processing period.

The guidebook is available on the Pemudah website at www.pemudah.gov.my.

There are currently 40,000 expatriates working in the country.