(This article is brought to you by TalentCorp, a Malaysian government entity established in 2011 to attract global foreign talent to Malaysia.  Learn more about their expatriate related services. )
 

The Government is committed to further facilitating the entry and retention of foreign talent, towards promoting greater ease of doing business and attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in Malaysia. This was emphasised by the Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak recently in a meeting with several eminent expatriate corporate leaders, each of whom was personally offered Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T) status by the Prime Minister.

“The Residence Pass-Talent is an immigration innovation introduced last year, enabling top foreign talent to apply to work here for 10 years. Today, some need not even apply as we continue to innovate by offering the RP-T to eminent expatriates. Next, immigration will launch the Expatriate Services Division by March 2013 to further enhance services to foreign talent,” said Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib at the meeting.

The offer of RP-T to selected expatriates reflects the shift towards a more open and proactive approach in immigration towards top foreign talent. The offer made by the Prime Minister recognises the contributions made by leading expatriates to Malaysia’s transformation agenda, in meeting critical skill requirements and driving FDIs, which supports key economic sectors to move up the value chain in line with the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). The Prime Minister also reinforced that foreign talent complements the Malaysian workforce and interacts with others in ways that increase the overall productivity in Malaysia.

The expatriates offered RP-T comprise 21 corporate leaders, foreign investors, and experts in their respective fields. They represent leading corporations in NKEA sectors such as Business Services, Oil & Gas, Financial Services, and Education.

In addition, to better facilitate foreign talent to work and settle in Malaysia, the Prime Minister also announced that expatriate service delivery would be further improved with the rebranding and launch of the Expatriate Services Division (ESD). By making such a generous offer personally to this group of expatriates, the Prime Minister was formally recognising the contributions made by leading expatriates to Malaysia’s transformation agenda in meeting critical skill requirements and driving FDIs, which supports key economic sectors to move up the value chain in line with the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).

During the meeting, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib was also able to announce that the future would continue to be rosy for expatriates living and working in Malaysia, as there are plans in place to further improve the services offered to expatriates with the launch of the Expatriate Services Division (ESD). This division would come under the Department of Immigration and will act as an integrated service facility, offering efficient, seamless service to expatriates and their dependants in matters relating to immigration procedures. The ESD is scheduled to be in place by the end of the first quarter of this year, and thus expatriates can look forward to a new year of enhanced facilities to make processes easier and Malaysia more accessible to those with a long-term view.

RESIDENCE PASS-TALENT

Launched on 1 April 2011, the RP-T is an immigration instrument introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and administered by the Immigration Department, together with Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp), to attract and retain foreign talent. The RP-T is issued personally to the holder, bearing no affiliation to anyone job or employer, and enables foreign talent to live and work in Malaysia for up to ten years. The pass is also renewable, and has been welcomed by the expatriate community, offering a way for them to commit themselves more fully to life in Malaysia.

“Since its launch in April 2011, more than 1,000 RP-T applications have been approved,” said Johan Mahmood Merican, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TalentCorp. “The RP-T initiative has been followed through with implementation, testament to strong public delivery of ETP projects. More importantly, success of the government in attracting foreign talent is necessary in increasing investments and promoting growth, which in turn creates more jobs for Malaysians.”

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For more information on the Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T) or TalentCorp’s other global talent initiatives, please visit www.talentcorp.com.my.

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Source: The Expat January 2013

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