PUTRAJAYA, May 10 — Seafarers with expired Social Visit Passes (PLS) are allowed to stay in Malaysia until Dec 31, but they have to obtain a pass at the nearest Immigration office, said Immigration Department of Malaysia director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud.
He said their applications must be accompanied by a letter of confirmation from their respective embassies and a letter of support from the operators or the owners of the marina where they are docked.
He said the department had held a discussion with operators and the Malaysian Marina Association via video conferencing on the measures that the seafarers must take to enable them to continue to stay and moor at any marina after April 21.
“To assist foreign seafarers who are in Malaysian waters during the Movement Control Order (MCO), the department allows them to continue staying in Malaysia until Dec 31 by obtaining the PLS from the nearest Immigration office,” he said in a statement today.
Khairul Dzaimee said that as of May 10, there were 138 foreign seafarers berthed legally in Malaysian waters.
“But some among the foreign seafarers are found to be berthed illegally and they are set to face the music,’’ he said, adding that prior to this, foreign nationals with expired PLS had to leave the country before or on April 21 and failure to do so could result in enforcement action being taken.
On April 21, Khairul Dzaimee announced that foreigners with expired PLS must apply for a Special Pass to enable them to be in the country, while waiting for flights home to their countries of origin.
