KUALA LUMPUR: More than 30,000 Malaysians have overstayed in Australia and this is affecting genuine visa applications by other Malaysians.
“Some even falsely seek refugee status abroad. This situation has caused difficulties to other Malaysians looking to travel, study, seek jobs or emigrate through legal means,” Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya (pix) told the Dewan Rakyat today in response to a supplementary question raised by Datuk Mohd Salim Mohd Sharif (BN-Jempol).
Mohd Salim claimed that Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Andrew Goledzinowski, had recently revealed that about 33,000 Malaysians had overstayed their 90-day visas, with some claiming refugee status.
Marzuki said Wisma Putra was working closely with their Australian counterparts to monitor Malaysians seeking refugee status or protection visas.
He said Australia has also placed its immigration officers in Malaysia to vet visa applications.
To a question by Arthur Joseph Kurup (PBRS-Pensiangan), Marzuki advised Malaysians to check with the relevant authorities before taking up overseas job offers.
He said this was to prevent Malaysians, particularly youths, from being duped and ending up as illegal immigrants abroad.
He also advised Malaysians seeking to travel abroad not to abuse local and foreign immigration laws to overstay.
